Has the coronavirus pandemic dampened the future of expat living? Maybe not.
Three-quarters of people who moved to another country for business or cultural pursuits — including 70% in Mexico — say they are confident about continuing to live abroad, according to an Aetna International survey.
Aetna found that seven in 10 people whose plans to move to another country were thwarted by COVID are still looking to move abroad within the next two years.
Perceptions of how each government has responded to the pandemic mattered.
The most confident responses came from Singapore, at 88%, and the UAE at 87%. Mexico scored lower in the confidence meter, but still at a robust 70%, while Germany was a bit lower at 64%.
With restrictions and isolation on arrival still being a factor when traveling to many countries in 2021, it would not have been a surprise if interest in expat experiences had significantly dipped, but the opposite seems to be true. Combined, 75% said they are still very or fairly confident about continuing with their way of life.
But asked if they “Never had concerns about working abroad during the pandemic,” only 29% in both Singapore and Mexico agreed.
Expats have also made improvements to their health during the pandemic, according to the survey: 60% admitted to eating more healthy, 27% said they are drinking less alcohol and 43% said they are exercising more.
