Countries which provide expats with the greatest benefits in terms of salary and economic rewards don't always provide the best quality of life for children and families.
Those countries that provide the greatest benefits in terms of overall wealth, disposable income and luxuries are often those in which it is hardest for families to bed down and integrate, and in which childcare and general standards of health and well-being are perceived to be poorer.
The top countries in the 2011 Raising Children Abroad report were France (1st), the Netherlands (2nd) and Australia (3rd). These countries may find themselves towards the bottom of the rankings in the Expat Economics Income league table in terms of the economic benefits of relocation (ranking 26th, 29th and 22nd respectively), but they provide the best environment for raising children abroad.
Children in these countries appear to lead a much healthier lifestyle: spending more time outdoors (France 53%, Netherlands 53%, and Australia 75%) and more time playing sport (France 47%, Australia 81%, and Netherlands 56%) than average (47% and 46% respectively).
In contrast to this, countries which rank low on the Raising Children Abroad league table such as the UK (10th out of 10 countries), USA (9th out of 10 countries) and Mexico (8th out of 10 countries) tend to rank more highly in terms of income (ranking joint 10th and 9th respectively out of 31 countries).
In these countries however, the safety of children seems
to be a major concern and expats here are more likely than average
(16%) to suggest that child safety has deteriorated since relocating (UK 28%, USA 25%, and Mexico 75%). Expats in Mexico and the USA are also more likely to feel that the standard of education has deteriorated since moving (USA 27%, Mexico 33%) than those living elsewhere (20%).
It seems that when selecting an expat destination, parents often choose between locations which offer high salaries, and those which offer a good environment for children. The decision often depends on parental motivators: those who choose the UK, the USA and Mexico are more likely to be driven to become expats by career/money prospects (73%, 58% and 62% respectively) than those who choose France, the Netherlands and Australia (26%, 38% and 40% respectively), who may prioritise other factors.
Some locations may offer the best of both worlds with Hong Kong and Singapore performing strongly in terms of their income rankings (6th and 2nd respectively); while still ranking mid-table in terms of raising children abroad (4th and 6th respectively). Children here receive high quality childcare, have moderately healthy lifestyles, and seem to find it relatively easy to integrate.
