Global Living Conditions & Country Livability Survey 2024 — Is Living in This Country a Good Option for You?
Anonymized assessments from 185 participants from 55+ countries of origin, each evaluating
the livability of a country they currently live in or have previously lived in.
Participants rate cost of living, crime, citizenship difficulty, climate, natural hazards, peacefulness,
and political stability to help prospective residents and researchers compare countries
as potential places to live. Built with Google Forms and distributed globally via social media.
185
Participants
45
Countries Assessed
60
Variables
11,100
Data Points
🎯 Study Purpose
This study was designed to generate a comparative, participant-driven assessment of country-level livability across multiple dimensions. The central research question was: "Based on the first-hand experiences of people who have lived in different countries around the world, which countries offer the best and worst quality of life, and what specific factors — cost, crime, climate, political stability, and personal safety — most influence these judgements?"
The study targets both current residents and former residents (including diaspora members and returned expatriates) to capture both optimistic and retrospective assessments. By collecting data from participants across all income levels, regions, and cultural backgrounds, the dataset is intended to help individuals making migration decisions, researchers studying comparative development, and policymakers understand how real residents and former residents perceive life in their country relative to others.
📋 Data Collection Methodology
Instrument Design: A structured self-administered questionnaire was designed in Google Forms. It contains three sections: (1) eight background fields including country of origin, country being assessed, relationship to that country, years spent there, and current country of residence; (2) twenty-nine structured categorical assessment fields organised into seven thematic domains; and (3) twenty 5-point Likert-scale items and three final overall assessment questions.
Distribution: The survey link was distributed on Facebook expatriate groups, Reddit communities (r/expats, r/iwantout, r/digitalnomad, r/asktravelers), Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn international groups, WhatsApp migration and expat communities, and Telegram channels serving diaspora and international worker communities.
Eligibility & Sampling: Participants must have lived in the country they are assessing for a minimum of 6 continuous months. Both current residents and former residents were eligible. Minimum age was 18. A convenience and snowball sampling approach was used.
Anonymization Protocol: No names, emails, phone numbers, or IP addresses were collected. Sequential Participant IDs (PART_001–PART_185) were assigned post-export. Age was collected in 10-year brackets only.
Collection Period & Cleaning: March 2024 – August 2024. Final dataset: 185 valid, complete, unique responses.
⚠️ Known Limitations
Perception vs. Objective Reality: All data represent subjective perceptions, not objective measurements. A participant's assessment of crime or cost may be shaped by their country of origin, income bracket, neighbourhood, and personal experiences. Social desirability may cause nationals to rate their own country more favourably. Online distribution under-represents rural populations. The dataset is intended for exploratory, comparative, and educational use only.
Q1: The overall cost of living is affordable on an average local salaryQ2: Housing costs (rent or mortgage) are manageable for a middle-income earnerQ14: The healthcare system provides quality and affordable care to all residentsQ16: There are sufficient employment opportunities for skilled and educated workers
DOMAIN 2 – CRIME & PERSONAL SAFETY
Q3: I feel personally safe walking alone at night in most areasQ4: Corruption is a serious and widespread problem in government and institutionsQ5: Law enforcement is effective, visible, and trustworthy
DOMAIN 3 – IMMIGRATION & CITIZENSHIP
Q6: It is realistically possible for a skilled foreigner to obtain permanent residency within 5 yearsQ7: Foreigners and expatriates are genuinely welcomed and treated fairly
DOMAIN 4 – CLIMATE & NATURAL HAZARDS
Q8: The climate is comfortable and enjoyable for most of the yearQ9: Natural disasters pose a significant and recurring risk to life and property
DOMAIN 5 – PEACE & POLITICAL STABILITY
Q10: This country is peaceful and free from the threat of war or armed conflictQ11: Political tensions and civil unrest are a common occurrence in daily lifeQ12: The government is stable, competent, and serves its citizens wellQ13: Civil liberties, freedom of speech, and democratic rights are respected
DOMAIN 6 – INFRASTRUCTURE & QUALITY OF LIFE
Q15: Infrastructure (roads, electricity, internet, water supply) is reliable and modernQ17: The education system is of high quality and accessible to all childrenQ18: Environmental quality — clean air, clean water, and green spaces — is goodQ19: Overall, the quality of life in this country is high
DOMAIN 7 – OVERALL LIVABILITY VERDICT
Q20: I would recommend this country as a place to live to someone from another country
FINAL ASSESSMENTS (Categorical)
FA1: Overall Livability Rating (Very Poor → Excellent)FA2: Would you recommend this country as a place to live?FA3: Compared to your country of origin, this country rates:
📊 Countries Assessed (185 Total Assessments)
Norway5
Switzerland4
Denmark4
Germany6
Netherlands4
Sweden4
Canada7
Australia6
New Zealand4
United Kingdom5
France4
United States8
Japan5
Singapore4
UAE5
South Korea4
Portugal4
Spain4
Poland3
Brazil5
Mexico4
Argentina4
China5
India6
Turkey4
Indonesia4
Philippines3
Vietnam3
Malaysia3
South Africa5
Nigeria5
Kenya4
Ghana3
Zambia4
Zimbabwe3
Egypt4
Ethiopia3
Malawi3
Russia4
Ukraine3
Israel3
Haiti2
Afghanistan2
Syria2
Yemen + DR Congo + Pakistan5
Likert Scale (Q1–Q20): Strongly Disagree | Disagree | Neutral | Agree | Strongly Agree Cost of Living / Food / Transport: Very Low | Low | Moderate | High | Very High Housing Affordability: Very Affordable | Affordable | Moderate | Expensive | Very Expensive Healthcare / Infrastructure / Education / Environmental Quality: Very Poor | Poor | Moderate | Good | Excellent Crime Rate: Very Low | Low | Moderate | High | Very High Personal Safety: Very Safe | Safe | Moderately Safe | Unsafe | Very Unsafe Corruption Level: Very Low | Low | Moderate | High | Very High Citizenship Difficulty: Extremely Difficult | Very Difficult | Difficult | Moderately Accessible | Accessible | Very Easy Climate Type: Tropical | Subtropical | Mediterranean | Temperate / Oceanic | Continental | Arid / Semi-Arid | Arctic / Subarctic | Mixed Conflict Status: No active conflict | Low-level internal tension | Proxy / cold-type geopolitical tension | Active internal conflict | Active international conflict Political Stability: Very Unstable | Unstable | Moderately Stable | Stable | Very Stable Democracy Quality: Non-democratic / Authoritarian | Flawed democracy | Partial democracy | Functional democracy | Full / Strong democracy Overall Livability (FA1): Very Poor | Poor | Fair | Good | Excellent Recommendation (FA2): Strongly Recommend | Recommend with Reservations | Neutral | Would Not Recommend | Strongly Would Not Recommend Compared to Origin (FA3): Much Better | Better | About the Same | Worse | Much Worse Relationship to Country: Currently a resident | Former resident (now living elsewhere) | Born there, now living abroad