Our Data

A composite of four World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators measuring democratic quality, rule of law, corruption control, and government effectiveness. Voice & Accountability is the most heavily weighted, reflecting how much civil and political freedoms matter to someone deciding where to live. Countries with effective but non-democratic governments score lower here than on a pure stability index — political violence risk is captured separately in the Safety score. Updated annually when World Bank data refreshes.

How far a US dollar goes in each country, scored from the perspective of an American earning in USD. Blends two World Bank signals: the price level ratio, which measures actual purchasing power relative to the US, and GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power, which serves as an economic development proxy. The blend moderates scores for high-income countries where the price ratio alone can be misleading — Singapore, for example, appears cheap relative to the US dollar but is an expensive city for day-to-day living. Updated annually when World Bank data refreshes.

How usable English is for day-to-day life — groceries, healthcare, bureaucracy, neighbors. The EF English Proficiency Index is the primary benchmark for non-English-speaking countries. 95+ = English is official and universal. 60 = English works in expat and tourist areas. 20 = daily life essentially requires the local language.

Job market access for American expats across the full spectrum of work paths — multinationals, tech and finance, healthcare, trades, hospitality, education, creative industries, and entrepreneurship. Blends two World Bank signals: unemployment rate and GDP per capita. GDP per capita carries more weight because unemployment figures alone are misleading in developing economies, where informal and subsistence work masks the true availability of expat-relevant jobs. Updated annually when World Bank data refreshes.

How well a country supports working remotely — internet reliability and speeds (via Ookla's Speedtest Global Index), co-working space availability, digital nomad infrastructure, and practical US time zone overlap. 90 = fast reliable internet everywhere with a thriving nomad scene. 20 = infrastructure not suitable for remote work.

Quality of life for expat families — availability of English-language international schools (via ISC Research), safety for children, childcare costs and infrastructure. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey provides real expat family experience data. Weighted toward accessible options beyond elite international schools.

How accessible long-stay visa options are for Americans specifically — number of pathways available, income or asset thresholds, documentation burden, and typical processing time. Visa requirements are verified against official government immigration portals and the US State Department. 90 = multiple easy pathways with minimal requirements. 20 = very limited options with strict criteria.

Quality and accessibility of healthcare for expats — private hospital standards, English-speaking doctor availability, out-of-pocket costs, and whether expats can access the public system. Cross-referenced across WHO data, the Numbeo Healthcare Index, and International Living quality assessments. 90 = excellent private care at low cost with English widely available. 40 = adequate care in major cities only; medical evacuation may be needed for serious conditions.

Pulled live from the World Bank API (PV.EST indicator from the Worldwide Governance Indicators dataset) — updated annually across 200+ countries. Measures perceptions of political instability and politically-motivated violence, normalized from the underlying -2.5 to +2.5 range to a 0–100 scale. Validated against the Global Peace Index, Numbeo Crime Index, and US State Dept advisories. Calibrated so that 60 = US baseline.

Based directly on the WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2024, which benchmarks 146 countries on gender parity across economic participation, educational attainment, health outcomes, and political empowerment. We normalize the GGI score (0–1 scale) to 0–100, calibrated so that Iceland scores 97 and most countries fall between 15 and 83. Regional estimates cover the small number of territories not in the report.

Scores come directly from the Berkeley Inclusiveness Index 2025 — a composite measuring how well marginalized groups are included and protected across 152 countries. It covers racial minorities, women, LGBTQ+ people, religious minorities, and people with disabilities. We use the overall composite score (0–100) as-is. The only score on GMTFOO sourced from a dataset that explicitly centers the experience of people of color.

Measures legal protections and social climate for LGBTQ+ people — same-sex marriage, anti-discrimination laws, adoption rights, conversion therapy bans, and real-world safety for visibly queer expats. Legal status sourced from ILGA World's State-Sponsored Homophobia report; composite score uses the Equaldex Equality Index; European countries additionally cross-checked against the Rainbow Europe Index. Calibrated so 60 = US baseline, 95 = full legal equality with strong social acceptance, 0 = criminalized with active enforcement.

Shown only when you select trans or non-binary in the quiz. Built from three Equaldex data points — the Equality Index for overall legal framework, the gender recognition issue page for whether self-declaration, surgery, or medical diagnosis is required, and the non-binary recognition page — cross-checked against the ILGA World Trans Legal Monitor. Displayed as Strong / Moderate / Poor on your results.