Nine out of every 10 expats in Malta believe the island is one of the countries with the best weather, according to new data.
Malta made it with the top countries for a “sunny escape” in a survey that last year revealed the island as one of the countries that offer pura vida (pure life).
Initial data released through the Expat Insider survey showed 2016’s best-performing countries – Taiwan, Malta and Ecuador – replaced by Bahrain, Costa Rica and Mexico in 2017. Malta placed seventh.
New rankings released on Friday placed Malta with the top 10 destinations with the best weather.
Expats living in these “sunny escape” countries moved there for different reasons: in the majority of cases, the search for a better quality of life was named as the top reason, while others moved for love, for their partner’s job or education, or because they were sent abroad by their employer.
However, there is one thing that all 10 have in common: at least three-quarters considered the climate and weather to be a potential benefit prior to moving.
After moving, at least nine in 10 were satisfied with the weather.
Over all, Greece moved up four places to claim this year’s top spot, as the best expat destination for those in search of a sunny place. The country made it with Portugal, Spain, Costa Rica, Uganda, South Africa, Malta, Mexico, Cyprus and Kenya. The positive climate ratings in any of these destinations amounted to at least 91 per cent – 30 percentage points more than the global average.
When it comes to Malta, more than a quarter of expats moved here for a better quality of life, and it is hardly surprising for the researchers, that 93 per cent rated the local climate and weather positively.
Almost six in 10 expats (59 per cent) thought that moving to Malta would be good for their personal health, considering the “laid-back attitude and the lovely weather” as the main benefits of life on the island.
Malta seems to offer a mostly tranquil lifestyle, with 83 per cent rating the country’s peacefulness positively.
Whether it is the weather or the largely peaceful environment, expats seem happier in Malta than across the globe (88 per cent compared to 78 per cent globally).