Friendliest Countries 2025

What are the friendliest countries in the world? Whether one is an expat permanently relocating or a tourist just passing through, it is much easier to feel comfortable when the people of a country are welcoming and friendly, with a positive attitude toward out-of-towners and other cultures—and some countries are much friendlier than others.

To be clear, “friendliness” is entirely dependent upon each individual’s personal experiences—it is entirely possible to feel unwelcome in a friendly country or welcome in an unfriendly country, depending upon the people and situations. However, when enough personal experiences are combined, trends can and do emerge.

Expat-focused website InterNations conducts an annual survey of expats to find out which countries are most welcoming to expats and foreign travelers. The survey measures several metrics, including the ease of learning the language, the quality of the environment and health care systems, and how friendly each country’s people are toward expats. The 2023 survey garnered more than 12,000 respondents who represented 171 nationalities and lived in 172 different countries.

Top 10 Friendliest Countries in the World (2023 InterNations)

Some popular travel destinations such as the United Kingdom, France, and the United States fell into the ranks of the unfriendly or rude countries in the survey, placing 32nd, 39th, and 24th (out of 53), respectively. The ranks in this survey change dramatically within a few years as many factors can greatly affect a country’s attitude towards foreign travelers or expats.

The United Kingdom, for example, has placed as high as the 19th friendliest country and as low as 56th. One Portuguese expat explained that he believes Brexit had something to do with the decreased friendliness in the country. Some of the least friendly countries for expats are Denmark, Kuwait, and Austria.

The Friendliest Countries in the World

Mexico earned the title of friendliest country for expats in 2023 due to its exceptionally welcoming locals and ease of building friendships. An impressive 91% of expats describe Mexicans as generally friendly, and 74% find it easy to make local friends—significantly above the global average. Additionally, 89% of foreigners feel genuinely welcomed, while 82% quickly feel at home. Coupled with affordable living and an enjoyable social life, Mexico makes integrating into a new culture surprisingly easy and rewarding.

Brazil and the Philippines secured the #2 and #3 spots respectively in InterNations’ 2023 rankings for friendliness toward expats, thanks to their warm, welcoming cultures and strong social environments. Brazil leads the world in friendliness toward foreign residents and ease of making local friends, with 89% of expats praising local hospitality and 73% saying it’s easy to build friendships. The Philippines also shines, with 86% rating locals as friendly and 72% finding it easy to connect with others—far above the global average. In both countries, the sense of belonging is strong, with nearly 9 in 10 expats feeling welcome and many planning to stay long-term.

The Least Friendly Countries in the World

Austria placed last—53rd out of 53 countries—in InterNations’ 2023 survey for friendliness toward foreigners, earning the unfortunate title of the least welcoming country for expats. It ranked dead last for both general friendliness and friendliness toward foreign residents, with 43% of expats saying locals were particularly unfriendly—more than double the global average. As a result, nearly 60% of expats reported difficulty making local friends, and one-third didn’t feel welcome at all. For many, settling in felt isolating, with fewer opportunities to build a personal support network.

Kuwait and Denmark round out the bottom of InterNations’ 2023 rankings, placing 52nd and 51st respectively, largely due to difficulties in social integration. Kuwait ranked last in quality of life and ease of settling in, with expats reporting poor leisure options, limited freedom of expression, and challenges in making local friends. Denmark, despite its high quality of life, struggled with friendliness—ranking dead last for making friends and with many expats feeling unwelcome or disconnected from the local community. In both countries, the social experience proved to be a major hurdle for foreigners trying to build a life abroad.

It should be noted that these are only the lowest ranking countries out of the 53 included in that year’s survey results. More than 130 additional countries did not make the list—African countries seem especially underrepresented—and could easily be more or less friendly than those that were included.