What makes a country well-run? Whether minimising corruption or spearheading educational and medical initiatives, governments around the world use different policies to facilitate a high-functioning society. To quantify the effectiveness of these policies, indexes like the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index, the World Bank’s Governance Index and the Social Progress Index survey residents, compile publicly available statistics and rank countries based on their performance across different categories.
While each index varies in their precise ranking, certain patterns emerge across all three, with the same countries consistently at the top for their progressive social policies, trust in government and effective justice system.
Still, policies are only as good as the people they affect, so we talked to residents living in some of these countries to find out which factors most influence their daily lives.
New Zealand citizens 65 and older automatically receive generous government allowances
New Zealand
Australia and New Zealand are virtually neck-and-neck across the indexes, but New Zealand scores slightly better for overall political stability, fundamental rights and lack of violence/terrorism.
“New Zealand was the first nation in the world to give women the vote [in 1893],” said Zoe Helene, founder of Cosmic Sister, who lived in New Zealand for 10 years and frequently visits her parents who are permanent residents. “A group of people brought a physical petition from one end of the island to the other, gathering signatures until it was a giant scroll. That scroll can be viewed in the museum now, and I think it should be something that tourists go to see, like the Statue of Liberty.”
The country also has generous policies that support single parents, children, students and seniors. “You know the saying ‘you can judge a civilization by how they care for their elders’? When a New Zealand citizen becomes a senior at 65 they automatically start receiving a generous government allowance, no matter who they are, no matter how much money they earned or inherited, and no matter when they arrived in the country,” Helene said.
Costa Ricans are connected to the ‘pura vida’, or ‘pure life.
Costa Rica
The Central American country ranks high across all factors when it comes to how easily expats fit in. Almost nine out of 10 expats (89%) are pleased with the general friendliness of the population, and eight out of 10 (79%) feel at home, according to the survey.
Foreign- or native-born, the community is connected by the ‘pura vida’ sensibility, said Diana Stobo, owner of The Retreat Costa Rica. “The idea of living a ‘pure life’ is the promise here, and those who are tired of the hustle and bustle want to live that way.”
She believes the socialist government plays a part in maintaining this equality and openness. “People all live within the same means; it is difficult to get ahead financially, and therefore most find peace and harmony in what they have. No sweat, no worries, no problems, just ‘pura vida’.”
While English is widely spoken, learning Spanish will get you far with the locals, said David Black, an InterNations Ambassador who lives in Santa Ana, 15km west of the capital San Jose, and is originally from the UK.
Japanese schools rank well globally, with elementary and secondary schooling being mandatory
Japan
Not only does the island nation rank highest in Asia by the World Bank for overall government effectiveness, rule of law and political stability, it also received the highest marks in Asia from the Social Progress Index for its access to basic knowledge, water and sanitation, and access to nutrition and medical care.
“The effects of government policies are often quite evident in cleanliness, efficiency and functioning of tax-paid parts of society,” said Adam Goulston, a cross-cultural resume writer who lives in Fukuoka but is originally from the US. “Part of this can be attributed to the natural tendency of the Japanese to value social and public things and keep up appearances. However, a big part also owes to effective and in some cases quite liberal policies, especially in comparison to my home country, the US.”
Health insurance is universal, though it can be expensive since it’s income-based and taken out of wages – but residents can go to any doctor any time and costs are capped. Though the aging population and population decline is putting pressure on the solvency of the programme, said Goulston, overall, the system works. Japan also has some of the world's best cancer doctors.
The education system is another of the country’s strengths; elementary and secondary school is mandatory, and Japanese schools rank well globally. Though the schools are highly regimented and systematic – which can lead to over-standardisation, according to Goulston – they have prioritised nutrition as a key part of education, with school lunches prepared with locally grown ingredients and paired with lessons on healthy eating and food history.
According to expats, Colombia ‘feels like home fast.
Colombia
This South American hotspot feels like home fast, according to many expats.
“The Colombian people are eager to show their country in a positive light and are very receptive and hospitable towards newcomers,” said Anne Marie Zwerg-Villegas, an InterNations Medellín Ambassador living in Chia (a suburb north of Bogotá) and originally from the US.
“Colombia is one of the countries in the world with the lowest percentage of foreign-born residents, so we are a novelty. Locals tend to think of us as tourists and treat us as tourists.”
William Duran, who lives in Medellín, Colombia’s second largest city, where he hosts a digital nomad bootcamp, says this gives expats a unique opportunity to feel immediately welcomed, without the shine wearing off. “Out of the 40-plus countries I have been to, there is no other place where I've seen foreigners feel such a great balance of familiarity and novelty,” he said. “Colombians are very helpful and cheerful. The country is warm in every sense of the word.”
Alia Bickson: “Canada is more progressive in its values than our neighbour to the south.
Canada
Both the United States and Canada rank highly across all indexes, but Canada scores higher in political stability and lack of violence/terrorism. In fact, Canada comes close to many of the Scandinavian countries in its near-perfect scores, including access to nutrition and medical care, as well as to basic knowledge and personal rights.
“Canada is more progressive in its values than our neighbour to the south. For instance it would be quite rare for attitudes against a woman’s right to choose, or removing rights from LBGTQ persons, to become serious topics of debate,” said Alia Bickson, an Intrepid Travel guide who lives in Toronto and has dual US and Canadian citizenship. “Of course, individuals have varying views, but the country as a whole supports policies in line with compassion and acceptance of varying life choices.”
One mistake newcomers sometimes make, however, is thinking Canadians’ courtesy and thoughtfulness makes them pushovers. “They have a sharp sense of fairness and will assess visitors’ behaviour with a clear eye,” Bickson said. “[Canadians] don’t suffer fools gladly, so do your basic homework before arriving.”
Expats are drawn to the Philippines’ tropical lifestyle.
The Philippines
This island nation has become an outsourcing capital with many multinational companies opening offices here and attracting expats from across the world. Currently, residents of 159 countries do not need even need a visa to enter the Philippines.
English is a primary language and residents are eager to welcome newcomers.
“Locals are very outgoing and helpful, which makes foreigners feels accommodated,” said Eleanor Webley, a Manila native and InterNations Ambassador.
There’s also a strong culture of going out – to festivals and parties, or even just getting outdoors – which means newcomers can easily find opportunities to meet new friends.
“The people here are very friendly and are always smiling,” said Wendell Yuson, an InterNations Ambassador who was born and raised in Manila, adding that the slogan of the Philippine Department of Tourism also reflects this vibe: ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines!’”
Chile has one of South America’s most stable and corruption-free governments .
Chile
Ranked highly for its open and transparent government, control of corruption and access to basic knowledge and medical care, Chile has one of South America’s most stable and corruption-free governments.
“Whereas you might be expected to pay a bribe to police or politicians in other South American countries, that doesn’t happen in Chile,” said Peter Murphy Lewis, owner of tour company Chile Guru and long-time Chile resident.
Even as a foreigner, it’s relatively easy to buy property or to start a business (no more than a few weeks, according to Lewis) compared to other countries. “While there is bureaucracy, it's not overly difficult to navigate,” said Mat Newton, founder of TourismTiger and Santiago resident. While expats may get frustrated with the slow immigration process, once your visa is sorted, “life isn’t too difficult,” Newton promises.
Health insurance is affordable and effective, but where the country really shines is its infrastructure. “Santiago, and Chile in general, has high-quality infrastructure which makes living there a relative breeze with none of the headaches one might associate with developing countries,” Newton said, referring to the country’s high-quality highway system and near universal access to water and electricity. Santiago also has one of the world’s largest urban parks in the world, the 1780-acre Metropolitan Park, and numerous bike paths that even Paul McCartney has traversed.
While Chile is extremely open and friendly to foreigners, rigid social classes can make it hard to break into the country’s inner social circles, according to Lewis. He recommends that all newcomers join a local Facebook community group, so they can quickly make new friends and find referrals for English-speaking doctors and other services.
