Relocate Index

Most Welcoming Countries for Expats 2026

Warmth affects how quickly you build a social life. This score blends one cultural values survey (Hofstede indulgence) with an expat survey about settling in (InterNations). Both are thin, so treat this as a hint to explore, not a verdict.

Scored using data from Hofstede IVR, InterNations Ease of Settling In. 42 countries ranked. 18 countries lack data for this dimension.

Data last updated:

Top 15 countries for warmth

1

Mexico

Latin America · Overall: 52.6

97.72

Colombia

Latin America · Overall: 54.2

85.13

Brazil

Latin America · Overall: 55.9

79.04

Philippines

Southeast Asia · Overall: 56.1

74.55

Thailand

Southeast Asia · Overall: 55.9

72.26

Indonesia

Southeast Asia · Overall: 52.6

71.77

Greece

Southern Europe · Overall: 68.1

69.68

New Zealand

Oceania · Overall: 72.4

66.99

Australia

Oceania · Overall: 75.0

66.510

Spain

Southern Europe · Overall: 68.7

66.111

Vietnam

Southeast Asia · Overall: 60.5

60.112

South Africa

Africa · Overall: 62.0

59.813

United States

North America · Overall: 68.5

59.514

Portugal

Southern Europe · Overall: 74.6

57.015

Malaysia

Southeast Asia · Overall: 61.9

56.3

Lowest-scoring countries

42

Germany

Western Europe

18.341

Czech Republic

Eastern Europe

18.540

Hungary

Eastern Europe

22.839

Norway

Northern Europe

23.138

Finland

Northern Europe

26.3

How warmth is calculated

How easily expats report settling in, combined with how much the culture values leisure and openness. A rough signal, not a measure of how people will treat you.

warmth = IVR × 0.40 + internations_score × 0.60. Both sources required, no fallback.

Limitation: InterNations has about 260 respondents per country, mostly expats in professional jobs. Hofstede IVR dates from 2010 and measures cultural values, not friendliness to newcomers. Countries missing either source show no warmth score. Mismatch flag when abs(IVR − InterNations) > 30.

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the best warmth?

Mexico ranks 1st for warmth with a score of 98 out of 100, based on data from Hofstede IVR, InterNations Ease of Settling In.

How is the warmth score calculated?

Warmth affects how quickly you build a social life. This score blends one cultural values survey (Hofstede indulgence) with an expat survey about settling in (InterNations). Both are thin, so treat this as a hint to explore, not a verdict. Formula: warmth = IVR × 0.40 + internations_score × 0.60. Both sources required, no fallback.

How many countries are ranked for warmth?

42 countries have warmth scores in the Relocate Index. 18 countries lack sufficient data for this dimension.