If you’re considering a move away from the UK – perhaps to climes where the opportunities are greater for your particular skillset, or where you find the culture more accommodating, or where things are just a little bit different – then you’ll want to consider a few of the destinations where your fellow expats are already flocking to.

It’s difficult to quantify how good it is to live in a particular part of the world (though many organisations, like the Legatum Institute, make it their business to make the attempt.)What we can be sure of is the number of people who are already making the journey to certain parts of the world – and what those people report to be the best places to live.This survey by the Expat Insider is just one way of seeing where the most popular destinations are.If we also examine prosperity indexes like those offered by the LI, we can see that certain countries feature highly in both lists.Let’s examine some of them.

Which countries are doing well?

Australia

Australia is a country which enjoys a sure and steady influx of labour from the English-speaking world.So much so, in fact, that they’ve put into place an immigration system which uses a points-based approach, awarding those who’re able to contribute the most useful skills to the Australian labour market.Moving to Australia from the UK has never been such a popular move – and if your skillset matches those demanded by the system, you might find doing so easier than you think.

Malta

Malta is a country which ranks highly in expat surveys in terms of the ease of settling in and making friends.Around 41% of expats to the country claim that it’s easy to adjust to Maltese culture and society – which compares very favourably to the global average of just 16%.Malta’s appeal is undoubtedly wedded to its climate – which is pleasantly scorching.

Taiwan

Taiwan has ouster Ecuador to claim the top spot on the Expat Insider’s survey, ranking highly on a number of the measures used.The country is a small, island nation which sits just off the coast of the Asian mainland.More than a third of expats living in Taiwan report that they’re totally satisfied with their jobs – which compares extremely favourably to the just 16% of global expats to make the same claim.Similar figures are arrived at when questioners ask about job security and the balance between work and home life – and when asked about their overall satisfaction with life, more than 90% of expats here report that they’re totally content.

One respect in which the so-called Asian tiger falls a little behind its competitors is the ease of settling in.We can mostly attribute this to the language barrier, as most report that the locals are friendly – even if communicating with them is troublesome.

Ecuador

Ecuador lies in a famously scorching-hot part of the world, thanks to its position on the equator.If you’re looking for warm weather all-year-round, this is the part of the world to find it.The country, until recently, enjoyed a position at the very summit of global expat surveys – but it’s been usurped by Taiwan.This is thanks to several factors – the country’s major export is oil, whose low price has impacted the Ecuadorian economy.The same is true of the enormous earthquake that struck the country in April.That said, Ecuador remains an attractive proposition – particularly for those looking for a place in the sun.

New Zealand

Like its near-neighbour Australia, New Zealand is a huge draw for settlers from the UK and the rest of the English-speaking world.There are no language barriers to overcome, and the culture is broadly similar to that found in Britain, Canada, the US and Australia.Once you’ve settled in, you’ll be rewarded with a diverse, beautiful landscape, plenty of opportunities for leisure, and plenty of jobs and financial stability.Like their Australian counterparts, New Zealand visas for UK citizens are relatively easy to come by – and so it’s worth making the relevant enquiries.

Which countries are doing badly?

Kuwait

This country comes in at number seventy-one on the prosperity index.It’s oil-rich and, for the region, relatively secure; but its scores on personal freedom are dismal – which is sure to turn off many would-be immigrants from the UK, where the phrase ‘mind your own business’ is ubiquitous.

Greece

Greece’s economic woes have been well-documented, and they’re reflected in the country’ plummeting popularity with would-be migrants from the rest of the developed world.