Journalism of Courage
Top 10 countries for expats in 2026: Panama No.1 for third time in a row
Based on global expat feedback across 31 destinations, Panama, Mexico, and Thailand have been named the world’s best countries to live and work in 2026.
For three straight years, Panama has led the InterNations Expat Insider rankings, coming in 1st out of 31 destinations for 2026. (photo credit: unsplash)
Best places to build a life abroad: InterNations, a platform for expatriates, has released its Expat Insider report with lists of the world’s best and worst countries for expats for 2026, prepared based on an online questionnaire.
As many as 7,786 expats participated in the survey, representing 162 nationalities and living in countries or territories worldwide. The target audience of expats included foreign assignees, international retirees, people who moved abroad to join a partner, and others who relocated for various other reasons.
A sample size of at least 50 survey participants per destination was required for a specific country to be considered in the overall ranking. For the 2026 ranking, 31 destinations met this requirement. An expat is defined as a person who lives and works away from their native country.
Participants in the survey were asked to rate 53 factors related to expat life on a satisfaction scale of 1 to 7. The emphasis was mainly on personal satisfaction with the given factors. It considered both factual and emotional aspects, and each was given equal weight.
An overall ranking for popular expat destinations was published in the results, taking into account five additional factors: working abroad, personal finance, quality of life, expat essentials, and ease of settling in.
Overall, the top 10 rankings spanned the globe. Panama ranked No. 1 for the third consecutive time. Mexico and Thailand followed in second and third place, respectively. The UAE, Brazil, and Spain ranked No. 4, 5, and 6, respectively. Singapore, Portugal, and Malaysia ranked at No. 7, 8, and 9, respectively. Luxembourg closed out the top 10 list.
Panama ranks highest due to a number of factors. The Central American country leads the working abroad and personal finance indices and ranks No. 2 for both ease of settling in and expat essentials. The questionnaire was promoted through the InterNations community, newsletter, and social media profiles, as well as external expat groups. The survey was not limited to members associated with InterNations.
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Best places to build a life abroad:
| Rank | City |
| 1 | Panama |
| 2 | Mexico |
| 3 | Thailand |
| 4 | UAE |
| 5 | Brazil |
| 6 | Spain |
| 7 | Singapore |
| 8 | Portugal |
| 9 | Malaysia |
| 10 | Luxembourg |
Source: InterNations/Expat Insider 2026
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