Why do foreigners find Germany such a hard country to settle in?

"In fact, Germany received its worst ever ranking in the 2024 InterNations' Expat Insider Survey, which was released in July. With an overall ranking of 50 out of 53 countries, the Bundesrepublik landed in the bottom three, just ahead of Finland (51st), Turkey (52nd) and Kuwait (53rd). Meanwhile, Panama, Mexico and Indonesia achieved the top three positions. Although some aspects of Germany were highlighted as positive such as Quality of Life (where Germany ranked 27th out of the 53 countries) and Working Abroad (23rd), people find it difficult to settle here."

""Germany continues to be among the worst-performing countries worldwide in the Ease of Settling In (51st) and Expat Essentials (53rd) Indices," said InterNations. The survey said "a lack of social connections and complicated bureaucratic processes impact overall happiness levels", noting that 54 percent of immigrants favourably rate their happiness in Germany, compared to 68 percent globally."

"In the Expat Essentials Index - which includes the subcategories Digital Life, Admin Topics, Housing and Language, Germany landed in the the bottom spot. For Digital Life, Germany got the worst ranking, landing 53rd. Only 53 percent of respondents agree that it's easy to get high-speed internet at home (vs. 78 percent globally), while just 33 percent said they find it difficult to pay without cash more than four times the global average of 8 percent."

Germany combines strong workers' rights, a robust healthcare system and abundant green spaces with significant challenges for foreign residents. The country ranked 50th out of 53 in the 2024 InterNations Expat Insider Survey and placed in the bottom three alongside Finland, Turkey and Kuwait. Quality of Life (27th) and Working Abroad (23rd) scored comparatively well, but Ease of Settling In (51st) and Expat Essentials (53rd) ranked poorly. Respondents cited a lack of social connections, complicated bureaucracy and weak digital services. Only 53 percent reported easy access to high-speed home internet, and many still face cash-dependent payment systems. Around 12,000 expatriates contributed to the survey.

Read at www.thelocal.de