Vietnam ranks among the top 10 most livable countries.

The annual HSBC Expat ranking of the best places to live and work has been running for the past 12 years. This year, the ranking is based on responses from 18,059 expats from 163 countries and territories. These responses were collected through an online questionnaire conducted in February and March 2019 by YouGov and commissioned by HSBC Expat.

A representative from HSBC Expat commented: "Vietnam is developing rapidly and the business environment here is very vibrant, although still somewhat constrained by cumbersome administrative procedures. The Vietnamese economy has grown very strongly and maintained stability since the 1990s. Although Vietnam was somewhat affected by the global economic downturn, the economy has recovered remarkably quickly. In recent times, a number of businesses have sought to diversify their operations, and Vietnam has become an attractive destination for investors. The Vietnamese government is working to reform its laws to attract investment and improve the business environment."

Furthermore, the HSBC Expat survey shows that Switzerland has overtaken Singapore to become the most livable country in the world. Thanks to its high quality of life, competitive salaries, and stunning surroundings, Switzerland has taken the top spot for the first time, whereas in 2018 it was still ranked 8th. The fastest-rising countries are Turkey, which climbed 15 places (to 7th), and Spain, which rose from 13th to 4th in the past 12 months.

Singapore remains the top destination for expats with children, largely due to its highly-rated education system, job stability, opportunities, and quality of life. Singapore is the only Asian country to make the top 3.

One of Singapore's biggest attractions for expatriate families is its clean and safe environment. 85% of expats "feel safer" in Singapore and appreciate the "very clean and safe public spaces" the country offers. These scores are significantly higher than the global averages of 48% and 41%, respectively.

Singapore also scored significantly higher than the global average for its "excellent education system" (47% vs. 26%) and "good place to raise children" (54% vs. 28%). 62% of expats agreed that the quality of education their children receive in Singapore is better than in their home country, a significantly higher percentage than the global average of 36%.

According to expats living in Singapore, the benefits of raising children overseas include "multilingual proficiency" (69% compared to 68% globally), "better quality education" (50% compared to 32% globally), and "greater openness to new experiences and cultures" (74% compared to 72% globally). In all areas, Singapore scored higher than the global average.