TOP 10 Friendliest countries in the world, recent survey.

The criteria used for deciding on this was the following : 1 How easy it is to befriend locals.
2 Learn the language
3 Fit into the new culture
4 How easy it is to integrate into the community.

Here is the top 10 - 1 Canada,
2 Bermuda
3 South africa
4 USA
5 Australia
6 Spain
7 France
8 Britain
9 Malaysia
10 Germany

Where are you on the list? And would you agree with this?

Here is the link to the article.

VVV

reply to post by VreemdeVlieendeVoorwep


I was looking just to see if my country made the list.
Its nice to see us at the top.



Not sure if i agree though because i have not visited the other countries on that list.

reply to post by VreemdeVlieendeVoorwep


Australia has a reputation for being friendly, especially my native state, Queensland. However, after visiting Queensland after several years away, the friendliest people are not here! They're in Canberra! Australia seems to be becoming less friendly as time goes by.

I've never found the U.S.A. particularly friendly. In fact, I think the friendliest people I've met in another country are...well... Antarctica... actually, nothing comes to mind really. I guess it all depends on where you go and how you behave. Germany is quite nice too.

United States number 4? I think it all depends on where you go actually. Up in the Northeast it is very fast paced so people are not as warm and welcome. Actually that can describe any large urban area in this country. The places outside of the large urban areas tend to be the most welcoming.

However the language seems to be a problem for us, I heard that English is one of the most difficult languages to learn. Also our culture is easy to assimilate into, just sit around drinking beer and stuffing your face while watching TV Monday-Saturday then claim that on Sunday you are going to church and you’ll fit in just fine.

Well for the community it’s easy, just don’t be an illegal alien, other than that you should fit in just fine.

As for the actual list I would have to say that Canada is correctly number one, Bermuda I don’t know because I know little about it. South Africa, well I have met a couple people from SA and they all seem to be nice so I guess SA belongs in the top. USA is probably right where it should be. I hear the Aussies can be pretty arrogant so not sure #5 fits them. Don’t know about Spain or Malaysia but France is supposed to be rude to Americans, so I guess as long as you’re not American France fits well at #7 on the list. Britain I hear is generally nice. And Germany is supposed to be very nice and welcoming people as well, so long as you are willing to assimilate.

But in the end I have never been to any other country so anything I say about them is not from experience and thus should not be considered fact.

Having lived in the US, Canada, Australia (home country) and frequenting Malaysia
I would put US at the top of friendliest and easiest to fit into it

BUT

the results seem targeted toward someone who comes form a western background and already speaks english.

I dont think English is all that easy to learn!



Oh and while these countries may be FRIENDLY.. GOOD LUCK trying to get into them to live
Im married to a Canadian and I tried for 3 years to immigrate and couldnt...
We went to the US and we couldnt stay permanantly (stayed a few years)
my husband is now here in Australia trying to Immigrate... and the paperwork takes up to 18 months sitting on a desk BEFORE they will even pick it up and START the processing... after that you STILL gotta wait 3 years to get citizenship.

Haha the Netherlands one of the lowest XD

reply to post by VreemdeVlieendeVoorwep


As a Canadian I'm biased, of course Canada is number one, we're also close to the top of the best places to live as well.

But if it's possible for me to take an unbiased look via the immigrant population I have encountered it should be #1. Canada is about integration and it's very good at it. Obviously there are some issues. Being an Anglophone (English only) living in a Province that is Bi-lingual (French & English) my options are quite limited without becoming functionally literate in French.

Many of the people in my apartment complex alone come from all over the middle east and other areas and through the conversations I've had with them (I'm nosy) they'd told me everyone they have met has been welcoming and helped the transition over.

As well, and I might be the minority here, but I consider these people 'Canadian' once they step foot on the soil. They do not have to be born here for me to respect their right to be here. I feel privileged to have been born in a country that so many people, from so many places, want to come live and be part of.

I Can't speak for many other countries on that list but I can mention the nightmare that was my mother attempting to gain citizenship in the US because her husband (ex now lol) lived in New Jersey. Through legal loop holes, instead of getting her citizenship she was deported and banned for 5 years. It was a long drawn out ordeal even before that issue as the road to citizenship is a long one and we were met with ineptitude and corruption from day 1. Lawyers forgetting to send documents on time, causing delays and in several instances having to start over. Government agents "losing" paper work, including originals.

I would not put the US on the easy to migrate to list, and having spent plenty of time there, I wouldn't put them very high on the friendliest list either. that's hard though as it really depends on where you go. New england, new jersey, places like that? Most people were really nice. Maine? Met some incredible jerks from there. New York? HAH, any of the people that were relatively nice were tourists or selling me something. The stares of death I got when holding the door open for someone confuse me to this day.

reply to post by Misoir

I hear the Aussies can be pretty arrogant so not sure

A minority everywhere is..
I actually think Sydney is too busy and rude..
Melbourne is slower paced and friendlier..

But I am biased..

reply to post by Alternator


Im not surprised The Netherlands would be low - I have lived here for 5 years, and I have zero Dutch friends. All of them are fellow expats. Dutch people tend to have their small group of friends they had while growing up, and stick to them. Some are friendly enough to talk to for a conversation, but they are not interested in having non Dutch friends to hang out with regularly.

I have heard South Africa is a not so friendly place. I will have a look into it tommorow, as a friend of mine moved to Australia from South Africa and she was telling me it was a bit dodgy.

reply to post by Misoir


Aussies are arrogant? Per capita, I think you will find more arrogance in the USA than Australia

Originally posted by Redevilfan09
I have heard South Africa is a not so friendly place. I will have a look into it tommorow, as a friend of mine moved to Australia from South Africa and she was telling me it was a bit dodgy.

Actually South Africa is very friendly mate, especially towards tourists.

It is a different story if someone from one country moves to another, and then says his home country is "a bit dodgy". That person had their personal reasons for moving, and has nothing to do with how friendly the country is or not.

VVV

reply to post by Isildur1


You lived here for 5 years and didnt make any friends? Where did you stay???

Originally posted by Misoir
United States number 4? I think it all depends on where you go actually. Up in the Northeast it is very fast paced so people are not as warm and welcome. Actually that can describe any large urban area in this country. The places outside of the large urban areas tend to be the most welcoming.

Too true. I'm up in Connecticut and I had friends visit from other states. They were friendly to cashiers saying "hello how is your day going?" or something to that effect and the cashier stared at them like they had 3 heads, probably wondering why the heck is this person even talking to me? Not everyone is like this though. It does seem harder to make friends up here, or in general just to talk to most people compared to other states down south when I went.

Malaysia though? Really? I've been in Singapore and Indonesia (so right about the border of malaysia). It all seemed a bit sketchy to me, but maybe because I'm a westerner and everyone stared me down for being white

reply to post by VreemdeVlieendeVoorwep

These are the countries where it's easiest to befriend locals, learn the language, fit into the new culture and integrate into the community.

What a stupid way to define friendliest
Befriending locals is fine but what follows that is just plain stupid to categorize it is "friendly"

Oh the language is difficult therefore the country is not friendly?

Originally posted by Misoir
However the language seems to be a problem for us, I heard that English is one of the most difficult languages to learn.

No, it's a easy language to learn, and I should know, I learned it just by watching movies and TV.

really? canada #1?? I live in suburban Vancouver and I want to move because everyones an asshole.
the east indians especially, i'm not racist but they are the rudest meanest people ever. and they keep coming by the thousands. their children become gangsters and try to rob you. and no i'm not generalizing an entire race.
3/4 of them become little gangster wannabes and their parents could care less until they are on the news front and centre. either it's REALLY bad everywhere else or they just made a simple error but Canada isn't my first choice.

maybe the newfies are kind and the nova scotians, but here on the west, it sucks.

Urrr, New Zealand?

Surely thats up there..


Its easier in NZ than in Aus.

Go Canucks!

Althoug this doesn't surprise me, if you look at the top 10 happiest places to live, you always get Norway and Sweden and those other EU countries that have high taxes and WONDERFUL government run programs like healthcare and education...

Just sayin'...

~Keeper

Ah, come on,.. Ireland not in the top 10
And France is! France...

Well, then again, if it has to do with how easy the language is to learn then I can see why. Only pockets of people in Gaeltacht areas seem to speak it now and it seems to be dying out, which is a shame as I think that anyone with any pride in their country needs to speak their native language.
But the rest of it, befriending locals and integrating into the community and culture is something I know people find very easy in Ireland.

Apologies to any French members... was just jesting