Estonia has been named the best country to relocate to in 2026 in the new Rumavi Global Relocation Index. The Baltic country tops the ranking of 192 countries and territories with a score of 72.8 points, beating Singapore and Malaysia.
The index compares countries on 24 indicators divided into four areas: finance and taxes, quality of life and health, security and stability, and settlement opportunities. The methodology includes factors such as cost of living, banking services, housing, healthcare, rule of law, business environment and long-term residency opportunities.
Estonia narrowly beats Singapore
With a score of 72.8 points, Estonia is just 0.2 points ahead of Singapore, which ranks second with 72.6 points. Malaysia is third with 72 points, and Portugal is fourth with 71.6 points. The top ten is followed by Taiwan, Lithuania, Hong Kong, St. Kitts and Nevis, the Czech Republic and Malta.
Italy and Spain, which are traditionally among the preferred European destinations for living abroad, do not fall into the top ten positions of this ranking. The result does not mean that the index universally determines the best place for each person, as different categories use different weights for indicators.
Strengths are the banking system and business
Estonia receives 99 points for finance and the banking system and 96 points for business opportunities. The rating for housing affordability is 82 points, for green spaces - 86, and for street safety - 77 points.
The Estonian Integration Foundation states: “Estonia was placed in first place mainly because of its well-functioning banking system, business opportunities and protection of property rights of foreigners.“ According to the institution, the country was assessed based on data from various sources and expert assessments.
The ranking also takes into account the country's weaknesses. The lowest score for Estonia is for climate suitability - 20 points out of 100. The reason is the cold and dark winters.
Different countries are leaders according to the profile
Rumavi uses the same database, but changes the weight of the indicators according to the profile of the person planning to move. Thus, Malaysia is listed as the leading country for retirees and digital nomads, while Singapore is at the top for entrepreneurs and in the tax attractiveness indicator.
This means that Estonia's overall first place is a guideline, not an automatic recommendation for every candidate. The choice of country also depends on citizenship, visa regime, profession, income, marital status and preferences for climate and lifestyle.
Sources: timeout.com, ftnnews.com