Survey shows France wins on expat family life

France’s position in the regular expat surveys has been improving year on year, with its 2017 raking at 11th out of 31 surveyed countries the best yet.

It seems the reason for the steady improvement isn’t eye-watering salaries or a luxury lifestyle, it’s the quality of expat life, especially when there are expat families involved. Since last year, France’s ‘family life’ category result saw it ranked as third best for family life, an impressive ten-place jump from the previous year's Expat Explorer result. In the ‘family’ subcategories, the country’s results were equally stunning, with quality of childcare ranking at fourth best; education rated 5th best and for ‘quality of life for family’ France also scored fifth best.

Almost three quarters of expat respondents love France for the effect the move has had on their family life, with half appreciating the quality of its education system as well as its childcare provisions and health and wellbeing. Giving the stress of relocating overseas with one’s family, this survey is a win-win for both expats and the country itself. Almost all expat respondents speak French, with 39 per cent saying it’s important for fitting in with the local community and helping to raise their children as bilinguals. A majority had help learning the language from their employers, with courses open to their dependents as well.

Overall, France’s quality of life is regarded as exceptional compared with other popular relocation destinations, and its healthcare and infrastructure also won praise. The elephant in the room is France’s economy, which took just 21st place out of the 31 countries taking part in the survey. However, average expat salaries came out at 71,570 euros, lower than the world average but with far more job security as a bonus. The ‘saving money’ and ‘entrepreneurship’ categories were poorly rated, as were disposable income and wage growth, but France’s overall results and its short working hours and long holidays make it a favourite amongst expats whose main concerns are quality of life and family rather than just money.