Irish Examiner view: Knocked off the perch

New Zealand no longer so great for relocation

New Zealand, held out as a new paradise when Jacinda Arden was centre stage during the Covid crisis, has now been voted the second worst place for relocation.

At first glance it might be easy to dismiss the findings of the annual Expat Insider survey by Inter Nations. The sample size per country is relatively small and the factors on which respondents are asked to comment are subjective.

This year more than 12,000 people of 177 different nationalities and living in 181 countries have been asked how their new locations have performed on quality of life, cost of living, safety, financial outlook, bureaucracy, and “ease of fitting in.” 

The results have been somewhat surprising. New Zealand, held out as a new paradise when Jacinda Arden was centre stage during the Covid crisis, has now been voted the second worst place for relocation. The cost of living is too high and the pay is too low, say those who have been polled, although the environment, climate and sport are appreciated.

Let us hope that there is a little less enthusiasm this morning. If you are reading this at 8.00am today, put the Irish Examiner down for 80-90 minutes (difficult we know) and tune in to the decider between the All Blacks and Ireland from Wellington. Jonathan Jeremiah Sexton celebrated his 37th birthday this week and his teammates gave him a cake. A first series victory against the Kiwis would be the cherry on the top.