News brief · Rankings
Spain: 6th in the Expat Insider ranking 2026, 1st for quality of life
Spain ranks 6th out of 31 destinations in InterNations' Expat Insider 2026 survey, driven by the top score for quality of life. The job market and administrative procedures remain its weak points.
By Editorial team · on October 25, 2026
- Countries concerned
- Spain
- Source
- majorcadailybulletin.com
- Writing
- Brief written with the help of AI from the cited source, published without human review.
A ranking driven by quality of life
According to the 2026 edition of the Expat Insider survey, conducted by InterNations, Spain ranks 6th out of 31 destinations. It comes 1st in the Quality of Life Index, 6th in the Ease of Settling In Index and 8th in the Personal Finance Index.
Among the expatriates surveyed, 82 % say they are satisfied with their life in Spain, compared with 70 % on average worldwide. In addition, 41 % wish to stay there permanently, and 20 % moved there to improve their quality of life, compared with 9 % on average worldwide.
Climate, health and integration
The climate satisfies 89 % of respondents, compared with 58 % worldwide. Health ranks 4th: 80 % consider care affordable (61 % worldwide), 83 % consider it available and 83 % of good quality (71 % in both cases worldwide). Personal safety is rated positively by 86 % of expatriates, compared with 81 % on average.
On integration, 72 % find it easy to get used to the local culture (60 % worldwide) and 77 % consider the locals friendly (63 %). On finances, 75 % consider that their household disposable income allows a comfortable life, compared with 71 % worldwide.
Administrative procedures, housing and employment
The Expat Essentials Index places Spain 20th. It is 24th for dealings with local authorities: 54 % of expatriates find them difficult, compared with 39 % worldwide. Housing is 19th, with 29 % finding it affordable (32 % worldwide) and 37 % finding it easy to find (44 %).
Employment is the weak point, with 26th place in the Working Abroad Index. Only 27 % appreciate the local job market (38 % worldwide), and 37 % believe that moving abroad has improved their career prospects, compared with 55 % worldwide. The full-time working week averages 40,0 heures, compared with 42,2 heures. Only 17 % came mainly for work, compared with 33 % worldwide.
What the source does not specify
The text gives no details on the sample of respondents, the weighting method or the nationalities surveyed. This is an opinion survey and not an official measurement: the results reflect the perceptions of expatriates, not the state of the law or of taxation.
Please note