Where would you rather move?

I like it just where I am. Is that an option?

Yes. Choice 9.

I would imagine that most American's would choose the English-speaking portions of Canada as a relocation destination; because there wouldn't be any language barrier.

Canada, hands down. Not sure why Americans (and Canadians) seem so enamored with Japan, though...?

Japan? really? One of the most rigid societies in the world and Americans, Canadians and Australians choose it? I call bs.

Maybe lek shave poozey, R4

I’m relieved a country I live isn’t on that list.

Well, I'm definitely not moving to Qatar -

(1) because of the heat, and

(2) I don't like the way the country's name is pronounced.

(It seems like it should be Cu-TAR instead of CUT-er)

[quote]Canada, hands down.

It always seems to me like America but without the sense of humour. The people seem dreary and have no sense of fun.

R9, what about moving back to Botswana?

R2, sorry, I'm drunk. I will be a long time until I make sweet, sweet love to your body.

R10 = chippy Canadian.

I find Canadians have a much dryer sense of humor than Americans, and can be overly polite before they get to know you.

I don't think I've ever met a Canadian. What are they like?

Australia or Canada of the ones on the list, but I'd personally would be very happy moving to a Caribbean island in a nice little house by the beach. That would be literal paradise.

Canada? It's a perfectly okay place, but to live there? What's the point of moving there?

I think many Americans think the rest of the world is some primitive, developing wasteland. Or worse. And that's just the obvious countries they know something about.

Americans are freaked out to find that it's common in some countries to have a clothescwasher or clothes washer and dryer in a kitchen. They fall apart if a house doesn't have a front and rear garden and a 3 car garage and a bathroom for every child. No appliance hutch for the blender? No, not having that. No separate space for the folding of clothes? Impossible. No grocery store as big as a Heathrow terminal? No 150 varieties of peanut butter flavored breakfast cereal? No peanut butter? No super complicated and extortionately expensive matrix of health care options and co-pays and deductibles? People speaking in strange tongues? No Wal-Marts?

They are an adventure averse people down to the tiniest detail and on whole don't transplant well

Meanwhile, the U.S. is the favored destination of just two countries.

Japan = no Muslims, Mexicans or black people

I lived in 2 countries on that list. I think the thing most people forget is that living someplace is not the same as visiting. Example: It was always my dream to move to Germany, but living there for several years was tough.

I'd consider moving overseas again, but these surveys are about as reliable as an online personality quiz.

Japan is a safe, clean country but very difficult for foreigners. The language alone is a deal-breaker, plus the apartments, culture, climate, reserved nature of the people, high cost of living.

Portugal is a good bet. Good climate, gorgeous coastline, relatively safe, very kind and friendly people who mostly speak English, good infrastructure, and 2/3 the cost of Western Europe. Only downside is if you have to earn a living here, salaries are very low.

Spain is similar but the locals do not speak English and the cost of living is higher.

I would say Australia is very similar to the US, but again, very high cost of living, extreme climate, lots of nasty wildlife, and little culture.

[quote] Example: It was always my dream to move to Germany, but living there for several years was tough.

This is interesting, what did you find difficult about living in Germany?

[quote] It always seems to me like America but without the sense of humour. The people seem dreary and have no sense of fun.

I think this is more true of English-speaking Canadians. They also have a HUGE inferiority complex regarding America. It's like half of them have memorized a list of things that makes them glad they "don't live in the states".

[quote]This is interesting, what did you find difficult about living in Germany

Its history, maybe.

[quote]I think this is more true of English-speaking Canadians. They also have a HUGE inferiority complex regarding America. It's like half of them have memorized a list of things that makes them glad they "don't live in the states".

yet they're always talking about "North America" - the Americans don't, they don't ever feel the need to include Canada when they talk about their country.

Believe me, Canada is no longer feeling any inferiority to that leper colony to the south.

What comes out of that huge country Canada...apart from maple syrup?

Not much, but at least we aren't suffocating to the death by the millions on lung fluid.

America doesn't even need their maple syrup.

No country on earth will let Americans in for years. The US is synonymous with plague.

Your mother's mother that bitch.

Some of these are too funny. For example, that Germany wants to move to Switzerland and Switzerland wants to move to Germany -- what for?

(I'm linking directly to the original map below, so you don't have to click on the Fail's wonky version).

Brazil

[quote]Brazil

All these places, what the fuck are you going to when when you get there?

[quote]No country on earth will let Americans in for years. The US is synonymous with plague.

Is everything you say ridiculous?

[quote]All these places, what the fuck are you going to when when you get there?

What do you do where you are now that's so fucking great and important?

[quote[What do you do where you are now that's so fucking great and important?

More than I'd do in bloody Brazil.

Japan? From the US? I question that. I have lived there, if only for 18 months, but I couldn't imagine relocating permanently unless it was down to Japan versus rural Nebraska.

Flaws and all, I prefer certain parts of the States.

[quote] Japan is a safe, clean country but very difficult for foreigners. The language alone is a deal-breaker, plus the apartments, culture, climate, reserved nature of the people, high cost of living.

I heard from a friend who lived in Japan, and spoke fluent Japanese, that, if you don't look Japanese, you'll always be regarded as an outsider. I've found that, on my occasional trips there, people were unfailingly polite, yet often they wouldn't sit next to me on the subway.

I've often wondered about people's mindsets when they answer such surveys. Do they assume that they would be able to speak/learn the language easily, have enough money which would allow them to lead a comfortable life, find meaningful employment, and quickly make friends, etc, or are they just thinking it would be like a permanent holiday?

Friends of ours were contemplating moving from NYC to Provincetown to retire but after a few extended visits, decided against it. I asked if it was the winter that dissuaded them. 'No', they said, 'the summer'. Dealing with hoards of tourists every days is fine when you're one of the tourists, but when you're a local you see things entirely differently.

Surprised to see so many want to move to Britain, in the year 2020. You do know the outlook is quite bleak for our tiny island right now, don’t you? Now that an unwanted Brexit is closing us off from the continent, industries and businesses are closing left and right, and the Tories are trying to sell us to America, it’s not looking rosy and bright for us at all. Actually, it’s a nightmare situation.

If this survey had been done ten or fifteen years ago, that result might be more understandable. But the last several years have seen native British people with money and means scrambling to get out - particularly to Switzerland, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Canada, Spain, and the South of France - and snag jobs & properties abroad. Then those wealthy older people & families who can’t or won’t leave are buying up all the decent properties and land in the country and gentrifying everything so there’s no accessible jobs, driving out less well-off rural locals such as myself.

So sadly I’ve been considering jumping ship like a drowned rat, though I have lived in England & Wales all my young life and love it dearly. I’m lower-middle-class with few connections or marketable skills beyond writing, I don’t have a good resume, and I only speak English, so my options are very limited. On the other hand, I also don’t have anyone I’m leaving behind or worth staying for, beyond my parents and siblings.

Seeing as I don’t mind the weather or a quiet life, so I was thinking about heading for Southern Ireland, Sweden, or perhaps Alaska. My awful estranged relatives went to UAE, New Zealand & Canada, but for that reason I don’t fancy either place (and having met natives from those countries I didn’t like). In the past (childhood, really) I was lucky enough to see Germany & Iceland, and while I loved both as a visitor neither culture was a fit for me; Iceland is frighteningly wild and remote, and Germany is too fast-paced and efficiency-driven.

R38, you should think about acquiring a skill you could market online and then travel around til you find a place that suits you. The world is a big, beautiful place if you aren't tied down because of work, family or language.

And Russia likes the US. I guess they are only comfortable in a shithole country.

I moving to Portugal once my parents pass away.

I've got dual citizenship (US & Portugal), I speak Portuguese, I've got some land on the island of Faial, in the Azores and I've saved enough in retirement and investments to live there rather nicely.

At least that's the current plan.

Mexico or bust for me. I don't do cold weather any more.

Cold weather no bueno

I was always going to move back to America from London. But recently I've changed my mind.

R39 thanks for the kind encouraging words. It’s a sound idea, and sounds exciting, but unfortunately not quite as easy as all that. I lack confidence, but that’s not the only issue.

On the plus side, I’m confident I can learn and use the basics of another language (in high school I had the bare bones of conversational German, and I know some Welsh), and I don’t mind not having friends or family around given that I’m not close to anyone. I’m more concerned about my health and my career suffering more than it is now if I leave, but I guess it’s not getting much better staying where I am, anyhow.

Leaving aside the pandemic, if I personally went anywhere alone to live and work I’d be constrained to low-level jobs, because I cannot pay or get loans to retrain or go back to school at a high enough level, yet I am too old to become an apprentice or do student work. Wherever I ended up I’d be relying entirely on public transport, as I cannot get a driver’s license due to health, which is a risk and also limits opportunities for career growth and social assimilation. Basically wherever I ended up the infrastructure and the living wage would have to be very solid. Finally, I’m not streetwise at all (had a panic attack and got lost the first time I went to London, in college), and don’t really trust my own capability to find work and fit in and make it all work, though I wish I did. I haven’t even looked into the legal malarkey about Visas now that we’re Brexitting and free movement is being restricted.

There’s so much to think about and much that could go wrong, but considering how hard it is to find work in an overcrowded England that is getting more cutthroat by the day I’m not sure I have a choice.

[quote] Mexico or bust for me. I don't do cold weather any more.

I hear that. I always thought I'd stay in NY forever, but I'm really dreading winter, especially this year.

I'd like to live somewhere warm like Mexico or Costa Rica in the winter and then come back to NY in May

[quote]There’s so much to think about and much that could go wrong, but considering how hard it is to find work in an overcrowded England that is getting more cutthroat by the day I’m not sure I have a choice.

Gurl, stay where you are for now. You'll always have Wales.

[quote]in high school I had the bare bones of conversational German, and I know some Welsh

[quote]I hear that. I always thought I'd stay in NY forever, but I'm really dreading winter, especially this year.

At least you can trust it being warm for more than half the year. I can't.

R2, if you don’t understand why that is false, please choose option 9.

Japan!?! WTF is that about? I have never heard anyone I know express an interest in moving to Japan. Who the hell did they ask? What would anyone seriously want to move there? That makes zero sense.

The majority of this country has never left it. How do they decide Japan is where they would want to live? Something ain’t right about this poll. If we have learned anything from the past 4 years, it’s that modern polling sucks.

I'm guessing most Americans googling "how can I move to..." are college age weaboos who fetishize Japan.

Well a lot of people here do talk about moving to Canada...but probably not very seriously. I'm sure it was the runner up though. Looking at this map, it really seems Canada has replaced us as the attractive New World country for immigrants. I know the world has been telling us decades that the United States actually kind of sucks compared to other first world countries', but I kind of thought many of them were saving face because certain aspects of American culture and government are embarrassing. I figured the good still outweighed the bad for them. I guess not!

Total garbage. I've never ever heard anyone say they want to move to Japan. Not one person. Other countries yes - but never Japan.

There are just so many things wrong with Japan for a foreigner to live there that I don't even know where to start. Anybody visited Japan? I have.

I'm relieved that a country that I love isn't a top pick. I don't want them flooded with migrants, including from the West.

You can't just move anywhere, you know.

I always used to joke "I've never heard anyone say they want to move to or move "back to" Sweden".

I love Canada and not at all surprised it tops the list. It's a huge country with relatively sparse population, which for me is ideal. The scenery and outdoor space is my favourite in the world. If I could relocate there tomorrow I'd go.

I like FRIENDLY outgoing people so Canada is OUT!

R56 that's an odd statement - Canadians that I've encountered, without exception, have been friendly and outgoing.

R51 I don't really understand the US vs Canada thing - I've visited both several times and Canada is superior to the US in every single thing that is important to me. There is literally nothing that I think is better in the US than Canada. The only people I've ever heard express an interest in moving to the US are trash.

I like most everything about Canada except the climate. Vancouver is still way too fucking cold and wet. And it's extremely difficult for an American to move there.

Surely cities like Toronto have decent summers?

Funny how almost none of the EU-countries mention America.

The Portugese want to move to The Netherlands.. why?! Amsterdam and some other old cities are lovely, but the weather is measly and the food is crap.

R60 what I found interesting about NL is the low tolerance and lack of acceptance by the white populace for anyone coloured. Little Dutch kids will unflinchingly spout racist epithets and ideas in polite company with a casualness akin to talking about Pokemon cards. As a Brit - from a country that has the opposite problem - this was a very big cultural obstacle to run into. I could only stand there in shock listening to it.

I don't believe this "research". I live in New Zealand and there is no way Fiji is the country most would relocate to.

The methodology certainly sounds dodgy... "The map has been drawn up by financial services provider Remitly, which looked at search data from Google for 100 countries. It says it created a ranking by looking at average monthly search volumes for phrases commonly associated with a move abroad and the most-searched-for locations within the 100 countries."

[quote] heard from a friend who lived in Japan, and spoke fluent Japanese, that, if you don't look Japanese, you'll always be regarded as an outsider. I've found that, on my occasional trips there, people were unfailingly polite, yet often they wouldn't sit next to me on the subway.

Deep down inside Japanese people is a raging xenophobic nationalist. They were just subdued (putting it mildly) in WW2 thanks to America. There people STILL deny the existence of comfort woman. And look at their attitude to that psychotic WW2 era fighter who was found in (I think) the Philliphines. He was hiding in some cave and had no idea if the war was over not. He was found many years after the war was over and was treated like a national hero in Japan due to his devotion and dedication to the country. So weird. And I say all of this as a person who also loves the country itself, the food, temples, philosophy, cleanliness, etc.

Clean and safe as it may be, if you are used to any kind of freedom, Switzerland would be tough. The rules you have to abide by if you live in a condominial apartment are preposterous, eg, no flushing of toilets or taking showers after 11. If you have a party and invite your neighbours, they will come and when they leave, they will phone the police. If you don't adhere to your assigned laundry slot, there will be an uproar.

And you may not like paying $10 for a can of tuna.

Switzerland wants to make to Germany and vice versa. They should just swap.

[quote]Japan!?! WTF is that about? I have never heard anyone I know express an interest in moving to Japan. Who the hell did they ask?

It is a ridiculous survey, R50, as R62 explains the methodology. It reminds me of the silly responses to various "What's the most Googled question about these countries?" "studies" which of course are not meant as even vaguely disciplined examinations of anything.

I have, though, known more than a fair share of Americans who have said things to the effect that they would like to live in Japan one day, or if they had to move to another country, Japan would be interesting. In the case of the people I've known, some have some connections by some study of the language, travel, they worked there, or they have a partner or relative or close friend who lives there. The others, however, have no connection at all beyond maybe seeing a museum exhibit and leaving "curious about Japanese culture," or curious about Zen gardens, or Shoji screens, or the people "they seem so polite." About half or more had some connection that explained all, the other half or less picked it wit all the care of throwing a dart a map.

Noruega, Londres, Canada, Irlanda, Nova York.

Australia (although I think I have aged out of that option). I've never encountered such kind, well-mannered, genuine people anywhere. Very progressive, and a beautiful continent.

Japan?

I suppose Connor Jessup Googling "moving to Japan" thousands of times skewed the results.

I would love to move to NZ. English-speaking and far and away from the rest of the world’s bullshit, at least geographically.

R70 visit before you commit to NZ.

I found the Kiwi locals to be xenophobic, insular, rude, and proudly limited. And I come from rural England, so I know provincial.

The expats are even worse.

Canadian Taylor Kitsch once shared in an interview that he grew up in a white trash trailer park with 4 siblings and a single mother who had 3 jobs to make ends meet.

I always thought Canada was superior and had great health care and social security. No need to move there if they have white trash trailer park folks and no support systems I guess.

I'd choose Belgium. Good food (moules frites, stoofvlees, cheese) and beer. Also centrally located to easily pop over to France, Germany, Holland, Denmark, or the rest of Europe.

Interesting - UK winning the DL poll. Obviously that would be the easiest transition for Americans. Scotland would be nice...once that little Hitler is removed.

I've lived in 10 countries. Netherlands and Spain were the best.

Australia has been hands down the winner among America forever, so I think they bungled the map.

In Asia I'm thinking Korea would win as so many Americans have been there.

All those Mexicans wanting to move to Canada must get lost on their way there and just stay in the US.

The Swiss sound like passive-aggressive Nazis. I guess that makes sense.

Don't go to New Zealand if you are materialistic. The shopping in New Zealand is dreadful. There is little interesting on the shelves and no surprise shipping charges are unsurprisingly sky high to the ass-end of the earth.

R72 How can you be surprised? One of Canada's most "well-known" comedy shows is called Trailer Park Boys! Of course Canada has trash!