HSBC Expat is calling on all expats to share their experiences of living and working abroad in the seventh annual Expat Explorer survey which officially opens today.

Expats from all over the world will have the opportunity to participate in the largest global survey of its kind, voicing their opinions on all aspects of life abroad including:

• Expat Economics – covering expat financial wellbeing;
• Expat Experience – looking at expat quality of life and;
• Raising Children Abroad – revealing the best places for expat families.

The results of the 2014 survey will be displayed on the interactive Expat Explorer tool – an award-winning online resource dedicated to expats, allowing them to compare different destinations and see which countries come top of the league tables in the categories which are most pertinent to them. Using the findings, expats can build a picture of what life is like abroad and discover which country is the best fit for them and their families.

Last year, more than 7,000 expats took part in the Expat Explorer survey, making it the largest survey to date. This year, HSBC Expat hopes to reach even more expats to uncover the most interesting findings about expat life and identify emergent trends globally.

In particular, HSBC Expat would like to hear from expat parents to gain a better understanding of how moving abroad affects family life and to help future expat families prepare and learn from others’ experiences.

Commenting on the opening of the 2014 survey, Dean Blackburn, Head of HSBC Expat said: “The Expat Explorer survey is well-established and much-loved among the expat community. Each year we’ve seen how enthusiastic expats have been to share their experiences with us and to see how their country of choice ranks in the final results.”

“The survey results help people prepare for every stage of expat life – from career development to raising a family, from those after a new challenge or adventure abroad to those looking for the best place to retire. Now in its seventh year, we want the 2014 survey to deliver even greater insights with even more participants, Dean added.”

The 2013 survey revealed that Asia is leading the way as a destination for expat quality of life, with five out of the top 10 countries for Expat Experience situated in the region. Other key findings from the 2013 research include:

• Switzerland, China and Qatar held the top three spots in the Expat Economics league table;
• Four European countries including: Germany, France, Belgium and Spain, ranked within the top 10 places for the Expat Explorer Raising Children Abroad league table, with Germany ranking most highly;
• Singapore was revealed as the safest country for raising a family;
• The UAE scored highly for satisfaction with the local economy, with expats also citing better job prospects and higher earning potential as a result of moving there;
• Brazil was the top destination for finding love as an expat.

Dean continued: “The survey findings help expats to plan their move abroad and helps us, as a business, to understand our expat customers and the unique challenges they face. We’re keen to hear from as many expats as possible, which is why we’re asking expats not only to fill out the survey but to take a proactive role in sharing it with their families, friends and wider expat networks.”

The Expat Explorer survey will close on 9th May 2014

Expats can take part and have their say via this link https://start.yougov.com/refer/vy3ZrdZYrKDJtF

To see how a country performed in last year’s survey, expats can visit Expat Explorer Interactive.

Follow updates from the survey and join the debate about expat life online:

Join the expat community on Twitter and follow @expatexplorer

Use the hash tag #EESurvey14

Read about expat life on the Expat Explorer blog

Share your own top expat tips on the Expat Explorer Hints & Tips tool

About the Expat Explorer survey

The Expat Explorer survey is commissioned by HSBC Expat and conducted by independent research company YouGov. The online survey ran from 29th April to the 11th June 2013, with 7,004 expats from nearly 100 countries taking part.

The HSBC Group

HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. The Group serves customers worldwide from around 6,300 offices in 75 countries and territories in Europe, Hong Kong, Rest of Asia-Pacific, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,671bn at 31 December 2013, the HSBC Group is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.