Top 10 countries with the best quality of life in 2024: Where does India stand?

It is important to focus on the quality of day-to-day life, as where you live has a significant impact on you and your life.

Quality of life is a multifaceted concept, influenced by a combination of objective and subjective factors. More than 232 million people relocate in search of a better life, according to the United Nations.

Earlier this year, InterNations released their annual Expat Insider 2024, which highlighted the countries that offer the best living conditions to expats.

Not so surprisingly, European destinations make up a large share of the Quality of Life Index 2024, joined by two countries in the Middle East, and three Asian destinations complete the top 10 list.

Discover the best places to live for improved personal safety, healthcare, and quality of life, as well as which countries to avoid based on climate and transportation.

Top 10: Countries with the best quality of life

However, concerns about political stability impact its Safety & Security ranking. Despite this, Spain ranks in the top 10 for four out of five subcategories in the index.

Following Spain and Austria, the UAE performs well across nearly all factors and ranks 3rd in the 2024 Quality of Life Index, excelling in the Travel & Transit category but lags in the natural environment, with expats preferring indoor activities due to the climate.

Where does India stand?

Despite achieving a good ranking in the Healthcare Subcategory (14th), India is second to last in the Quality of Life (52nd) ranking.

A high burden of death and disease due to air pollution and its adverse economic impact from loss of output could impede India’s aspiration to be a trillion economy by 2024. (Representational Image)

Expats appreciate the affordability and availability of medical care in India; However, the air quality makes it rank at the bottom (53rd).

Overall, expats do not find the environment enjoyable as India is ranked in the bottom 3 for both urban (53rd) and natural (51st) environments.

Bottom 10: Countries with average quality of life

Kuwait has consistently ranked poorly for expat quality of life, and this trend continues in 2024 as it remains at the bottom of the list. It performs poorly in all five subcategories.

Notably, among the worst-performing countries, Ireland and Malta (49th) are the only European destinations; although Ireland ranks 11th in the Working Abroad Index, expats feel that it falls short in terms of quality of life, ranking 51st.