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Expat Communication just published their last survey “Why become an expat?” Here are the highlights.
1. Expat morale
Expatriate morale is at 68%. Stable since 2022, and a 7-point increase since 2022. However, it is still well below the pre-Covid morale level. Concerns are mainly about future geopolitical and climate instability.
2. Expat motivations
Expatriation is increasingly becoming a desire for personal development. In fact, 71% of respondents replied that their main motivation to move abroad was to fulfil a personal aspiration. Only 29% moved following an offer from their employer. The first reason for leaving for expatriation is the quest for a personal and/or family adventure (48%). Career advancement only ranks fourth (31%).
Finally, financial conditions remain a decisive factor for expatriation (55%).
3. Expat benefits, difficulties, and surprises
Most respondents (66%) feel that they belong in their new home country. Only 3% say feel they don’t belong. Furthermore, even though the majority of respondents believe that their expatriation was a personal choice, 54% of them noted that professional relationships are the main way of integration during expatriation.
The benefits of expatriation are primarily personal. Personal development is the most cited benefit (68%). This is followed by the discovery of the country (66%) and a new culture (44%). An improved standard of living and family life are cited next (41%).
The difficulties encountered during expatriation are also mostly personal. Nostalgia and missing one's family are cited first (45%). The second most common difficulty is the language barrier (32%), followed by homesickness (29%), the feeling of loneliness and isolation (26%), and the difficulties of integration (24%).
Expat Communication is a platform of Intercultural experts supporting international mobility. Since 2014, the Expat Communication Barometer analyses the key challenges of international mobility by surveying a large-scale panel of expatriates.
Read the full report in French: