The Netherlands named among best countries to work in as an international
Dmitry Rukhlenko / Shutterstock.com
By Simone Jacobs
While the Netherlands has improved in the latest edition of the Expat Insider Survey, achieving a respectable 22nd place and being named among the best countries in the world for work, internationals are still struggling with the country’s housing market, healthcare system and socialising with locals.
InterNations Expat Insider 2025 Survey
Published annually, the Expat Insider Survey looks at how more than 10.000 expats from 172 different countries around the world view the countries they now call home. This year, 46 different expat destinations were included in the survey and ranked according to the quality of life on offer.
The ranking brings together insights across a range of elements of expat life, from safety and security to the ease of settling in. 56 factors are assessed in the survey, split into the following key indexes:
- Quality of Life Index (which looks at leisure options, travel, healthcare, security and environment)
- Ease of Settling in Index (culture, friendliness and ease of making friends)
- Working Abroad Index (career prospects, salary and job security, and work culture and satisfaction)
- Personal Finance Index (cost of living, satisfaction with financial situation)
- Expat Essentials Index (digital life, housing and local language)
- How happy are you with your life abroad in general?
Panama has once again taken the number one spot in the ranking for 2025, followed by Colombia and Mexico to round out the top three. At the bottom of the list this year is South Korea, Türkiye and Kuwait.
Good work life in the Netherlands, but housing and healthcare remain a problem
This year sees the Netherlands return to its performance from 2023, moving up four places from its position in 2024, and claiming the number 22 spot in the Expat Insider Survey. As usual, there were some mixed results for the Netherlands in the survey, with internationals responding positively about working life and digitalisation, but criticising housing and the Dutch healthcare system.
Where the Netherlands performed the best is in the Working Abroad Index, achieving fourth place among the 46 different countries. Expats were particularly impressed with the work culture, while also enjoying good job opportunities, salaries and job security.
This is unsurprising as the Netherlands has seen significant wage increases in the past year. However, the country may not be performing as well as it could due to the government pushing for plans to reduce the number of migrants in the Netherlands, which has resulted in a drop in skilled labour migration.
Digital life was also a breeze for expats in the Netherlands, with many government services available online, easy cashless payment options and access to high-speed internet. The Netherlands was also seen in a good light when it comes to admin topics, with expats having good experiences when getting a visa, dealing with local bureaucracy and even opening a bank account.
The overall performance of the Netherlands was let down by low scores in housing and healthcare in particular, where it ranked 44th and 40th, respectively. Sky-high housing costs combined with the housing shortage make the search for an affordable home almost impossible for expats, especially in popular cities such as Amsterdam.
An extreme doctor shortage means that thousands of residents are left without a GP, impacting expats who are still learning about the Dutch healthcare system, alongside affordability and quality complaints. Finding friends is also seen as a difficulty for internationals in the Netherlands, making it harder for expats to settle in.
The best and worst countries in the world for expats in 2025
According to the Expat Insider Survey 2025, these are the top five expat destinations in the world:
- Panama
- Colombia
- Mexico
- Thailand
- Vietnam
The expat countries that performed the worst in the 2025 ranking are:
- 42. Germany
- 43. Finland
- 44. South Korea
- 45. Türkiye
- 46. Kuwait
For more information about the Expat Insider Survey and to see the full ranking, visit the InterNations website.
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training. Read more