Guess which Country features in Top 10 for Raising Expat Children

Many South Africans, who have become expats themselves, may find the latest survey by banking giant HSBC quite interesting. It turns out that thousands of expats from different nationalities rate South Africa as one of the best countries for children to grow up in!

Regina Graeff from ExpatCapeTown.com compiled the following report. With her kind permission we hereby publish it.

The Top 10 Countries for Raising Children in 2014

by Regina Graeff

Are you raising expat children? Then this survey might open your eyes and gives great insights in finding the perfect country for raising your kids. In the 2014 ExpatExplorer survey, the ten countries mentioned below are ranked as the best countries in the world for raising children – and South Africa is among the top two!

In the latest expat survey by HSBC, over 9,000 expatriates from around the world rated 34 countries for access, cost and quality of childcare and education, as well as for the health and wellbeing of their children. Here you will find the top ten countries and the four top categories per country.

We are counting down the top ten… to find the top country for raising expat children. So this is how expat parents rated their countries:

Best Countries for Expat Children

10. Bahrein

• Access to better education (4th)
• Children have a wider circle/greater diversity of friends (6th)
• Better quality of life for children (8th)
• Health and wellbeing of children (10th)

9. Singapore

• Quality of education available to your children (2nd)
• Access to better education (5th)
• Health and wellbeing of your children (6th)
• Better quality of life for children (7th)

8. Canada

• Access to better education (3rd)
• Better quality of life for children (6th)
• Children are more rounded/confident individuals (6th)
• Health and wellbeing of your children (7th)

7. Switzerland

• Health and wellbeing of your children (2nd)
• Quality of education available to your children (3rd)
• Children are learning new language (3rd)
• Better quality of life for children (4th)

6. Belgium

• Cost of Childcare (6th)
• Access to better education (6th)
• Cost of education available to your children (8th)
• Quality of education available to your children (8th)

5. India

• Cost of education available (2nd)
• Cost of childcare available (4th)
• Children are more outgoing (6th)
• Access to better education (8th)

4. Japan

• Quality of education available for your children (1rd)
• Children are learning a new language (5th)
• Children are more rounded/confident individuals (5th)
• Cost of education (5th)

3. Germany

• Children are learning a new language (1st)
• Health and wellbeing of children (5th)
• Cost of education (5th)
• Quality of education available for your children (6th)

2. South Africa

• Children are more outgoing (2nd)
• Health and wellbeing of your children (3rd)
• Children have a wider circle/diversity of friends (4th)
• Quality of childcare available for your children (5th)

1. New Zealand

• Access to better education (1st)
• Health and wellbeing of children (1st)
• Better quality of life for children (2nd)
• Children are more rounded/confident individuals (2nd)

Image Credits for Expat Children page: Shutterstock.com and own

To view Regina Graeff’s original article and similar pieces, please click here.