Top 10 countries for expats in 2026: Panama No.1 for third time in a row

InterNations, a platform for expatriates, has released its Expat Insider report for 2026, detailing the best countries for expats worldwide. A total of 7,786 expats from 162 nationalities participated in the survey, which included foreign assignees, international retirees, and people who moved abroad for various reasons. To be included in the ranking, a country needed at least 50 survey participants.

Panama was named the top destination for the third year in a row, followed by Mexico and Thailand in second and third place, respectively. The UAE, Brazil, and Spain ranked fourth, fifth, and sixth, while Singapore, Portugal, and Malaysia followed in seventh, eighth, and ninth positions. Luxembourg rounded out the top 10. Panama's high ranking can be attributed to its strong performance in the working abroad and personal finance indices, as well as its ranking of second in both ease of settling in and expat essentials.