Here are the findings of the Expat Insider 2015 Survey which reveals that Italy’s poor economy affects foreign residents living in Italy.
Expats in Italy suffer from the ongoing economic crisis with incomes hardly high enough to cover daily expenses, the survey found.
Italy’s ratings in the InterNations Expat Insider 2015 survey are quite unflattering: Italy rates 58th out of 64 countries worldwide, hardly more favorably than such destinations as Kazakhstan, Kuwait or even Nigeria.
The results are even worse in categories such as personal finance and working abroad, where Italy hits rocks bottom with 61st and 62nd place, respectively.
The general state of the Italian economy is considered poor by 62 percent of respondents. In global comparison this result is particularly striking, since the worldwide percentage of expats with an unfavorable view of their respective country’s economy is a mere 21 percent.
Unsurprisingly, expats living in Italy do not have high expectations with regard to their career: fewer than four in ten respondents are happy with their career prospects.
Fears of unemployment are another major reason for the unfavorable score in the Working Abroad Index of the global survey: 40 percent of the expats in Italy express concerns about their job security, which is almost twice as many as the global average.
With jobs and careers suffering from the general state of the economy, personal finances in Italy appear to be similarly depressing: for one-third of the respondents, their disposable household income is not sufficient for daily life.
Not everything is negative though.
A Warm Welcome
Nonetheless, Italy ranks a solid 32nd when it comes to the quality of life, implying that the Mediterranean climate and cuisine have not lost their charm in spite of the ongoing crisis.
Weather and climate are mentioned as considerations before their relocation to Italy by 42 percent of the survey respondents, and Italy indeed delivers on these expectations: 85 percent are pleased with the climate.
The Italian population is also considered generally friendly by 75 percent, which probably helps the expats to adjust to living in Italy: two-thirds feel right at home in Italy.
The Italian language does not seem to pose any major obstacle, since more than half the expats find it more or less easy to learn. That is definitely good news since not knowing any Italian will make living in Italy more complicated: two-thirds of the participants find living in Italy challenging without local language skills.
Will the situation improve? Not in the short term is the opinion of this expat living in Italy. If you are financially independent, then you should find living in Italy pleasant. If you are not, then think very hard before moving to Italy. There are other nations you should perhaps consider first.
Read the full InterNations Expat Insider 2015 Italy Report here: InterNations Expat Insider 2015 Italy Report – .pdf file.
Source: InterNations Expat Insider 2015 survey
