Isle of Man ranked ‘best place to live in the British Isles’ by expats – International Investment

The Isle of Man has been ranked the best place to live in the British Isles, according to the latest HSBC Expat Survey.

It comes following almost three quarters of respondents saying their quality of life had improved since moving here. Over 92% of people also said they felt safer on the Island compared to where they used to live. This is the highest sentiment measured and almost double the average (48%) of other countries.

In terms of political stability, the Island ranked fourth in the world. The Isle of Man has the longest-running Parliament in the world, more than 1,000 years old.

“We have a diverse and vibrant business centre – yet unspoilt beaches and glens a few minutes away…expats are able to maximise their potential whilst maintaining a healthy work-life balance” – Andrew Stewart, head of Locate Isle of Man

Work-life balance, outdoor activities and a strong sense of community are some of the reasons that expats are staying in the Isle of Man longer than planned, with expats remaining on the Island an average of 8.2 years longer than planned. The global average was 4.3 years.

74% of respondents said that their quality of life had improved since moving to the Isle of Man, and nearly half said their mental wellbeing has improved.

Landscape

The survey found that those who have relocated highly appreciate the local landscape – only New Zealand and Australia ranked higher. The Isle of Man was the first jurisdiction to be named a UNESCO Biosphere.

Andrew Stewart, head of Locate Isle of Man, a government team which promotes the Isle of Man as a place to live, work and do business, commented: “This report clearly demonstrates that the Isle of Man is a fantastic place for those considering a relocation to live and work.

“We have a diverse and vibrant business centre with hundreds of current career opportunities – yet unspoilt beaches and glens are never more than a few minutes away – which means expats are able to maximise their potential whilst maintaining a healthy work-life balance. The government are very much committed to welcoming new talent, skills and ideas to meet the skills demands of local business and these findings show we are an attractive option for a relocation”.

The Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey were all new entries to this year’s league table with the Channel Islands ranking at 19 and 25 respectively. The United Kingdom was named 27 and Ireland, 14. The British Isles consist of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and over six thousand smaller isles.

Best country

On a global scale, the best country to live in the world was revealed as Switzerland.

In second place was Singapore followed by Canada, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, Germany, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam in the top ten.

The HSBC Expat Survey is the longest running independent global survey of expats. Criteria includes economic stability, wellbeing and family benefits such as finance, education, healthcare and quality of life to provide insights on how countries compare across the globe.

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Source: internationalinvestment.net