New Zealand is winning plaudits as a great new home for expats and is seeing immigration reach new peaks.
According to two new surveys, New Zealand has been voted both the most popular destination for expats and one of the most peaceful countries in the world.
International relocation firm Movehub reports that New Zealand has toppled neighbouring Australia as the number one destination for British expats.
The firm says inquiries about moving to New Zealand are up by 30% this year, while Australia dropped out of favour with a 5% decrease in calls about moving Down Under.
The report says the number of Americans showing interest about moving to New Zealand is up 71% since the election of Donald Trump and inquiries from the UK are up 81%.
Interest dips in Big Three
“New Zealand’s strong economy and cheaper cost of living both contributed to the rise in popularity of the new winner,” says the report.
“Although Australia continues to receive a lot of interest as an expat destination, it is interesting to see how the moving trends have evolved and will continue to evolve. Cost of living, way of life and general culture are now the key considerations for those looking to move abroad, which have fuelled a dip in interest to the former Big Three of the UK, USA and Australia.”
Click here to download the full Movehub Global Moving Trends Report 2017
Meanwhile, The Global Peace Index ranked New Zealand as the second most peaceful country in the world, behind Iceland.
The Trump effect
Unsurprisingly the war zones of Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan and Yemen were considered the least peaceful nations.
The survey was put together by think-tank The Institute for Economics and Peace.
The report also noted the election of US President Donald Trump was promoting uncertainty both in North America and wider afield.
“While the true extent of the significant political polarity in the US will take years to be fully realised, its disruptive influence is already evident. Underlying conditions of increasing inequality, rising perceptions of corruption, and declining falling press freedoms have all contributed to this deterioration in the US, leading to the overall decline in peace in the North America region,” said Steve Killelea, IEP executive chairman.
