According to a recent report by CEOWORLD magazine, the United Arab Emirates has been distinguished as the premier destination for business expatriates in 2025. This recognition highlights the country’s favorable business environment, vibrant economy, and strategic location that facilitates global trade. Following the UAE, Singapore and Australia secured the second and third positions, respectively, reflecting their robust infrastructures, strong economies, and high quality of life that appeal to international professionals.
The 2025 International Executives Mobility Study revealed that Thailand achieved fourth place, showcasing its growing appeal to expatriates seeking new opportunities in Southeast Asia. Taiwan closely follows in fifth place, indicating its continued competitiveness in attracting global talent. The Philippines ranked sixth, noted for its thriving business process outsourcing sector and a large English-speaking workforce, while Brazil’s seventh-place position emphasizes its potential as a key player in the South American market.
The top ten list continues with Spain in eighth position, recognized for its rich cultural heritage and a bustling economy that draws expatriates from around the world. Switzerland, taking the ninth spot, is celebrated for its stability, high salaries, and excellent living conditions, while Japan rounds out the list at tenth place, known for its innovative industries and unique blend of tradition and modernity.
Further down the list, Finland ranked eleventh, followed by Israel at twelfth, both recognized for their strong tech sectors and quality of life. Portugal secured the thirteenth spot, attracting expatriates with its warm climate and affordable living, while Estonia, in fourteenth place, stands out for its advanced digital infrastructure and progressive business policies. This ranking provides valuable insights for business professionals considering relocation for career advancement in 2025.
Rank Country Score Rating
1 United Arab Emirates 84.7 AAA
2 Singapore 82.5 AAA
3 Australia 80.1 AAA
4 Thailand 78.7 AAA
5 Taiwan 78.2 AA
6 Philippines 77.8 AA
7 Brazil 77.6 AA
8 Spain 77.3 AA
9 Switzerland 75.8 AA
10 Japan 75.2 A
11 Finland 74.9 A
12 Israel 74.7 A
13 Portugal 74.5 A
14 Estonia 74.1 A
15 Germany 73.8 A
16 Costa Rica 73.7 A
17 Czech Republic 73.4 A
18 Austria 73.2 A
19 New Zealand 72.9 A
20 United States 72.7 A
21 Saudi Arabia 72.6 A
22 Netherlands 72.5 BBB
23 Luxembourg 72.4 BBB
24 Hong Kong 71.9 BBB
25 Sweden 71.7 BBB
26 United Kingdom 71.6 BBB
27 Italy 71.5 BBB
28 France 71.2 BBB
29 Canada 69.7 BBB
30 Croatia 69.4 BBB
31 Hungary 69.1 BBB
32 Norway 68.7 BBB
33 Argentina 68.6 BBB
34 Morocco 68.5 BBB
35 Denmark 68.3 BBB
36 Bahrain 68.1 BBB
37 Qatar 67.8 BBB
38 India 67.7 BB
39 Mexico 67.5 BB
40 Bulgaria 67.7 BB
41 Colombia 67.2 BB
42 Belgium 67.1 BB
43 Greece 66.8 BB
44 Panama 66.7 BB
45 Poland 66.5 BB
46 Chile 66.4 BB
47 Oman 66.1 BB
48 South Korea 64.9 BB
49 Malta 64.7 BB
50 Vietnam 64.4 BB
51 Cyprus 64.1 BB
52 Russia 63.8 BB
53 Kazakhstan 63.7 BB
54 Ireland 63.6 B
55 Ukraine 63.5 B
56 China 63.2 B
57 Peru 62.8 B
58 Romania 62.7 B
59 Slovakia 62.5 B
60 Georgia 62.3 B
61 Belarus 61.7 B
62 South Africa 61.6 CCC
63 Nigeria 61.5 CCC
64 Indonesia 61.4 CCC
65 Malaysia 61.1 CCC
66 Turkey 60.7 CCC
67 Kuwait 60.5 CC
68 Egypt 59.8 CC
The rankings are based on six major metrics. The overall Score (100%) is the sum of the following:
1. Career opportunities
2. Earning potential
3. Quality of life
4. Ease of family relocation
5. Ease of raising families
6. Ease of settling in
* An expat (expatriate) is a person who lives outside their native country.
* There is two types of business expats (also know as business expatriates).
* Category A expats: Multinationals send employees to foreign countries to work in branch offices or subsidiaries.
* Category B expats: Independent expats for business abroad.
* The survey involved respondents from 95 countries and was conducted between January 12 and March 19 this year.
* Detailed survey data and information collected directly from 112,000 Individuals, across 6 data points.
* The overall score is numerical scores given to a country based on business expats and international industry recruiters feedback. Total scores are out of 100.
* Surveys completed by 105,000 business expats and 7000 international industry recruiters around the world.
* The Ratings for structures are then generated as follows:
* For group 1, scale AAA, AA, and A — For group 2, scale BBB, BB, and B — For group 3, scale CCC and CC
* The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 115,000 respondents is plus or minus 1.2 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that as in all survey research, there are possible sources of error—such as coverage, nonresponse, and measurement error——that could affect the results.
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