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The 7 Best Spanish Speaking Countries To Visit (and…

We ranked the worst and the best Spanish speaking countries to visit (other than Spain). Here is it.

PS: After reading this interesting article about Spanish speaking countries to visit, check also our Youtube channel.

During my career in the transportation and tourism industry (a career that now spans over more than a decade), I was lucky to travel to over 50 countries.

Many of those were Spanish speaking – something convenient for me since it is one of the languages that I am fluent in.

And maybe it is exactly the language one of the reasons why so many people look specifically for countries that speak Spanish when planning holidays.

But the familiar official language and familiar language is not the only attraction that the former colonies of the Spanish empire have to offer. From Machu Picchu to Chichen Itza and Mayan ruins, from the Andes mountains to the Caribbean sea and some of the most beautiful beaches on the planet, traveling to a Spanish-speaking country means natural beauty at the touch of your hands.

All that while you can put your language skills to work and improve your Spanish.

In this rank we didn’t include Spain since it is already covered by many other pieces we published, and Puerto Rico, which is not really a country.

But before we jump to the list, it is important to revise the criteria that we used to rank the top Spanish-speaking travel destinations.

Book: Budget Travelers, Digital Nomads & Expats: The Ultimate Guide: 50 Tips, Tricks, Hacks, and Ways to Free Stuff & Cheaper Flights — Recommended book: Budget Travelers, Digital Nomads & Expats: The Ultimate Guide: 50 Tips, Tricks, Hacks, and Ways to Free Stuff & Cheaper Flights

The Criteria to Rank the Best Spanish-Speaking Countries to Visit

We used 4 factors to rank the best Spanish-speaking countries for your next vacation.

1st – The number of international tourists each country receives per year.

The number of international tourist arrivals per year is a good proxy statistic to measure the touristic infrastructure and attractiveness of a country because it is a measure of how many people are interested in visiting a country.

It is a measure of demand: The number of tourist arrivals is a measure of how many people want to visit a country. If a country receives millions of visitors every month, it is likely a nice place to visit (unless it is really overcrowded).
It is a measure of supply: This is a good indicator of the availability of tourism attractions and services (like hotels and transportation) in a country.
It is a measure of satisfaction: The number of tourist arrivals is also a measure of the satisfaction of tourists with their experience, especially when we consider recurring travelers (those that come back after their first visit).

While there are exceptions to this rule, a higher number of international tourist arrivals indicates that a country has a more developed tourist infrastructure and is more attractive to tourists.

2nd – The Numbeo Cost Index

The Numbeo cost index is a tool that helps travelers compare the cost of living in different cities around the world. The index is based on a survey of prices for goods and services in different cities, and it is updated regularly.

The Numbeo cost of living index is useful for travelers because it can help them to budget for their trip. By knowing how much things cost in their destination city, travelers can avoid overspending. The index can also help travelers choose a city that is within their budget.

The index uses as a basis the costs of New York City in the US, which has a baseline number of 100. So if a given nation or city has an index of 50, it means its prices are in average 50% of the price you would expect in New York.

Talking about costs, we have 2 very good articles for anyone interested in saving money while traveling: one is about the cheapest cities to fly into Europe and the other is about 3 inexpensive (but wonderful) cities to visit in Europe during winter.

3rd – The Homicide Rate

The homicide rate (sourced from Statista) is a good proxy statistic to measure violence because it is a relatively easy statistic to collect and it is a good indicator of the overall level of violence in a country. It is represented by the number of homicides per 100,000 people in a country.

While there are exceptions (eg: countries that have a very high number of assaults or burglaries but almost no homicides), in general, a higher homicide rate indicates that a country is more violent.

And let’s admit: nobody wants to spend holidays worrying about safety.

If you want to know some really dangerous cities, check our articles about the most dangerous cities in Europe and about the most violent city in each of these 18 European countries.

Table with all the data collected

Country	International Tourists (2022) – in millions	Numbeo Cost Index	Homicide Rate (2022)
Mexico	39.6	52.78	29
Argentina	7.6	59.43	5.3
Dominican Republic	7.4	49.59	12.2
Chile	7.2	57.34	3.5
Colombia	4.5	54.25	24.9
Peru	4.5	51.31	20
Cuba	4.2	50.16	5.2
Costa Rica	3.1	52.55	10.7
Uruguay	2.9	52.83	7.5
Venezuela	2.9	69.85	56.3
Panama	2.8	54.55	19
Ecuador	2.7	51.93	5.5
El Salvador	2.5	50.06	16.3
Guatemala	2.5	51.03	27.4
Honduras	2.3	50.73	42.8
Nicaragua	1.7	50.44	11.5
Bolivia	1.3	51.57	6.6
Paraguay	1.1	48.48	11.5
Equatorial Guinea	0.1	64.41	10.2

Spanish-Speaking countries and their numbers.

4th – The Personal Opinion of the Author After Travelling to These Countries

I had been to the majority of the countries ranked below. While numbers, statistics, and other factual data are often useful to paint a general scenario of a certain holiday, human reviews are still important.

That is why we often check the opinions of other guests and customers when selecting a hotel, for example.

Of course, my opinion is not the most important factor here, but only one of the 4 that compose this entire analysis, and I am open to any criticism or disagreement (feel free to write it in the comment section).

And talking about personal opinions, check later this article about the most (and the LEAST) beautiful European capitals.

The Worst Spanish-Speaking Country to Visit in 2023: Venezuela

Caracas, Venezuela. It is for obvious reasons outside the top 7 of the best Spanish speaking countries to visit.

Check the third column in the table a few paragraphs above. A generally acceptable number there is below 20. A desirable number would be in the single-digit.

But pay attention to the whooping value for Venezuela.

This once rich and prosperous South American country is now one of the most violent in the entire world.

Venezuela is violent. It became so dangerous that the number of murders and kidnaps in this country would make war zones look peaceful.

Still, even violent countries like Mexico manage to keep relatively peaceful zones that are attractive for international travelers (the touristic hotspots of Mexico are way safer than the rest of the country, except for Acapulco).

But this is not the case in Venezuela. If the enormous violence was not enough, the country went downhill in many other aspects.

The infrastructure in Venezuela is also in a state of decay. The country’s roads, bridges, and airports are in poor condition. There are also frequent power outages and water shortages. The decaying infrastructure makes it difficult to get around Venezuela and to access basic necessities.

In addition to the high homicide rate and decaying infrastructure, there are other reasons why Venezuela is a bad place to visit. Currency controls, for example, make it difficult to change back to US dollar any Bolivar that you didn’t use during your trip.

The 7 Best Spanish-Speaking Countries to Visit

7th – The Dominican Republic

Number of international tourists per year: 7.4 million

Reasons why the Dominican Republic deserves a place in this ranking:

Beautiful beaches: The Dominican Republic has some of the most beautiful beaches on the continent. I had been to the white-sand beaches of Punta Cana, and it is really world-class (that explains why so many wealthy pensioners often chose this place).
Friendly people: Dominicans are known for their warm hospitality and friendly smiles. You will be welcomed with open arms wherever you go.
Affordable prices if you are traveling with a family: The Dominican Republic is a very affordable travel destination for families. Local resorts have special packages for couples with kids, and the little ones will have plenty of entertainment. It is also a great honeymoon destination.

In addition to all of these reasons, the Dominican Republic also has a unique Spanish dialect that is worth experiencing. Dominican Spanish is known for its fast pace and its use of slang. If you are a Spanish speaker, you will have a lot of fun trying to understand the locals.

If you are looking for a beautiful, friendly, and well-connected by-air destination, the Dominican Republic is a great option.

6th – El Salvador

Number of international tourists per year: 2.5 million

Despite its turbulent history and decades of civil war (something already on the past), El Salvador has made significant strides in recent years to enhance its tourism sector and attract visitors from around the world.

Notably, El Salvador has experienced a significant decrease in violence over the past two years. This positive trend has contributed to creating a safer environment for both residents and visitors, allowing tourists to explore the country’s attractions with a greater sense of security. We wrote an entire article about the fantastic decrease in criminality in El Salvador.

One of the primary reasons to visit El Salvador is its stunning natural landscapes. The country is blessed with picturesque beaches along its Pacific coastline, which is renowned among surfers for their consistent waves.

Inland, the country offers lush national parks like El Imposible, providing opportunities for wildlife encounters and nature enthusiasts.

El Salvador’s rich cultural heritage is another compelling reason to explore the country. Its charming colonial towns, such as Suchitoto and Concepcion de Ataco, offer visitors a glimpse into the nation’s history, with well-preserved architecture, cobblestone streets, and colorful houses.

El Salvador has its own distinct Spanish dialect, known as Salvadoran Spanish. Compared to some other Spanish-speaking countries, Salvadoran Spanish is considered relatively straightforward and easy to understand for learners, making it an ideal place for language enthusiasts to practice their Spanish skills.

5th – Peru

Number of international tourists per year: 4.5 million

One of the main draws of Peru is its archaeological treasures, notably the legendary Machu Picchu. This ancient Inca citadel nestled in the Andes Mountains is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the World’s New Seven Wonders.

Peru’s cities also offer a unique charm.

Lima, the capital, showcases a fusion of colonial architecture, modern skyscrapers, and a vibrant culinary scene. The Peruvian capital has Michelin-star restaurants enough to rival any European capital.
Cusco, the gateway to Machu Picchu, boasts cobblestone streets, Inca ruins, and a lively atmosphere.
Other cities like Arequipa and Trujillo feature stunning colonial architecture and historical sites that highlight Peru’s rich past.
If you are a surfer, a must-see is the wavy, sandy beaches situated just south of Máncora.

The Peruvian accent is generally considered clear and easy to understand, making it favorable for language learners. Peruvians are also known for their friendly and warm approach, making interactions with locals a delightful experience.

4th – Chile

Number of international tourists per year: 7.2 million

One of the main reasons to visit Chile is its breathtaking natural landscapes, from Patagonia in the south to the Atacama Desert in the north.

Additionally, Chile boasts the awe-inspiring Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, with its majestic mountains, glaciers, and turquoise lakes. The country also offers a diverse range of outdoor activities, including hiking and skiing (I learned to ski there, in the resort of El Colorado, very close to the capital Santiago).

Now, let’s open space for some polemics: if you are still in the first stages of learning Spanish, maybe Chile is not the best place for you. Not at least to practice your Spanish.

Chilean Spanish is characterized by its rapid speech, unique pronunciation, and a variety of local slang words and expressions. Chileans often use distinctive vocabulary and pronunciation, making their Spanish dialect, not the easiest to understand. For example, they tend to drop the final “s” in words and use specific idiomatic phrases.

3rd – Costa Rica

Number of international tourists per year: 3.1 million

Probably there is no country in the world that mastered the art of harnessing tourism for beneficial purposes while conserving its natural landscape like them. Yes, in this matter, Costa Rica is really an example to be followed.

In addition to its natural beauty and language, Costa Rica is committed to sustainable tourism and conservation. The country has dedicated a significant portion of its land to protected areas, ensuring the preservation of its unique ecosystems. Visitors have the opportunity to engage in eco-friendly activities, such as rainforest hikes, wildlife tours, and educational experiences that promote environmental awareness.

Costa Rica also became a place to go for digital nomads due to the low costs.

Costa Ricans, commonly referred to as “Ticos,” have a friendly and welcoming nature, and their Spanish dialect reflects that. Tico Spanish is characterized by a gentle and melodic rhythm, with a tendency to use diminutives and colloquial expressions. Compared to other Spanish-speaking countries it is generally considered clear and easy to understand for learners.

2nd – Mexico

Number of international tourists per year: 39.6 million.

Hotel view in Cancun. Photo by the author. Mexico is the 2nd among the best spanish speaking countries to visit not considering Spain. — Hotel view in Cancun. Photo by the author.

Mexico is one of the most visited countries in the world. That statement is self-explanatory when we debate how attractive is this country for your next holidays.

Since in this ranking we are not considering Spain, likely many readers would expect Mexico to top the list, so instead of writing about all the obvious strong points of Mexico as a popular travel destination, we will explain why it took the 2nd, and not the first place.

In the most touristy zones of Mexico, likely will not hear much of the Spanish language. You can have a great time visiting Cancun, Tulum, or the ancient Mayan ruins in the middle of the jungle but it is not the best place to practice your language skills.

That was my experience at least. Since every service in the hotel zone of Cancun is targeted at American and other foreign tourists, nearly everyone speaks English and most things are written in English.

Additionally, due to its proximity to the US, Mexico is not really a cheap place to visit during the high season – especially if we compare Mexico versus the first place in this ranking, which is incredibly inexpensive.

Concerning safety, Mexico has had its share of security challenges in certain areas (we wrote about the Mexican murder capitals here), particularly near the border. However, popular tourist destinations and cities that heavily rely on tourism, such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Los Cabos, have well-established security measures in place, making them relatively safe for travelers. These areas often have a significant police presence and prioritize the safety of visitors.

The Best Spanish-Speaking Country to Visit in 2023: Argentina

Number of international tourists per year: 7.6 million per year.

A photo that I took from a note of 100 Argentinian pesos. It is the equivalent of 0.42 US dollar.

Stunning landscapes, epic architecture in the capital Buenos Aires, and some seriously delicious food. From the mind-blowing glaciers in Patagonia to the insane Iguazu Falls (I spent part of my honeymoon there!), this country (once an escape for war criminals) will leave you speechless.

And I say that as a Brazilian (we were supposed to have some rivalry with our Argentinian neighbors, but I will not deny that their country is gorgeous).

The food, the landscape, the culture… all that would be enough to put Argentina in this top 7.

But here is what really raised them to the 1st place: it is ridiculously cheap to visit Argentina right now. Their currency is very devaluated against the dollar or euro.

An infinite pool in a picturesque resort for the price of a hostel room in Europe. That is what you can experience in the 1st place in this ranking—photo by the author. — An infinite pool in a picturesque resort for the price of a hostel room in Europe. That is what you can experience in the 1st place of our ranking of the best Spanish speaking countries to visit—photo by the author.

Due to the devaluation of the Argentine peso, the country and its capital Buenos Aires have become incredibly affordable destinations for international travelers. With the exchange rate favoring foreign currencies, visitors can enjoy excellent value for their money.

This means that accommodation, dining, transportation, and entertainment can be more budget-friendly compared to other destinations. It is your chance to stay in a 4* star hotel for the price of a hostel bed in Europe.

Argentina is a huge country and therefore has multiple dialects. In the capital Buenos Aires, it is characterized by its unique pronunciation and vocabulary, influenced by Italian and European immigrants who settled there. Meanwhile, in areas like Misiones, it carries indigenous influences.

Moving Out, Working Abroad and Keeping Your Sanity Cover — Recommended book: Moving Out, Working Abroad, and Keeping Your Sanity

If you enjoyed this article about travel spots where Spanish is the official language, here are a few other reading suggestions for you:

The 7 Countries With The Worst Work-Life Balance in The OECD

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Levi Borba is the founder of The Expatriate Consultancy, creator of the channel The Expat, and best-selling author. Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, meaning that the author will have a commission for any transactions.

Best Countries Ranking

Population Collapse: Top 10 Countries With Declining Populations

The Countdown to Collapse and the Demographic Doomsday: 10 Countries With Declining Populations

The global population curve inversion (when it stops growing and starts to decrease) is a moment that is apparently coming faster than experts expected decades ago, and there are multiple countries with declining populations already. In some of them, problems are getting serious.

Recent reports predict the global population will peak at 9.7 billion in 2064 before declining.

But way before that, multiple countries will see their populations decrease to the point of collapsing structures like workforce and (most of all), social security.

It is a ticking time bomb for numerous nations across the globe (while it will also benefit immensely some people).

Some nations may face such drastic drops in the numbers of their young, tax-paying citizens that the funding of their government structures may be wiped out due to lacking budgets.

There are many reasons to blame (or thank for, if you are one of those that benefit from shrinking populations) for the demographic collapse in these countries. This is a phenomenon that has been attributed to things like increased birth control, family planning, urbanization, increasing costs, and changing cultural norms.

The problems caused by population decline are not very visible when we talk about marginal percentages, like a 2 or 3% decline in a time span of decades.

But in the next few paragraphs, we will show you countries that may lose up to one-quarter of their total population in a matter of decades.

This doesn’t happen without some nasty consequences.

That means ghost cities, economic downfall, collapsed social security, and obliteration of tax revenues in many countries.

Recommended book: Moving Out, Working Abroad, and Keeping Your Sanity

The Criteria Used to Determine the Worst Ten Countries With Declining Populations

First of all, the 10 countries below are not the absolute worst regarding forecasted population decline. There are nations like Latvia or some islands in the Pacific Ocean that have even worse demographic decreases but didn’t make it to the list because they are too small.

That is because we only considered countries with more than 5 million residents.

Another filter applied was to take out countries that are currently experiencing a considerable inflow or outflow of refugees. For example, both Poland and Ukraine experienced enormous population changes last year due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

While Poland gained millions of new residents, Ukraine lost a considerable share. But this is likely not a permanent demographic change and often refugees return to their countries after armed conflicts. That is the reason we didn’t consider demographic challenges in both countries (although they do exist).

The Data Source

All the information about past populations and the forecasted number of residents in the countries mentioned below is from the 2022 data release from the UN Population Division.

Some additional information is from OurWorldInData. Data about fertility rates are from UNFPA or from the World Bank.

All the population pyramids are from populationpyramid.net.

Other sources (like the provided demographic pyramids) are linked after their respective mentions.

What a “healthy” demographic pyramid looks like

One of the few countries in Europe that are close to the population replacement fertility rate (2.1 children per woman) is Azerbaijan (although one could argue that they are actually located in Asia).

Their population pyramid looks like this:

Population of Azerbaijan 2020 - PopulationPyramid.net

A country with a stable population usually has a population pyramid with roughly the same number of people in each age and gender group.

The pyramid has a somewhat rectangular shape with relatively equal numbers of people in each age range, with a slightly wider base representing the younger age groups and a slightly narrower top representing the older age groups. The number of men and women is about the same.

What the demographic pyramid of a fast-growing country looks like

The fastest-growing country in the world (in terms of population) is Niger. Their birth rate is a whopping 6.6 children per woman. Below is their population pyramid.

Population of Niger 2019 - PopulationPyramid.net

The pyramid of a country like Niger, with a rapidly growing population, has a wide base and a narrow top, indicating a high proportion of young people.

Now that you know what the population pyramids of stable and growing countries look like, time to jump into the countries with declining populations.

Low Fertility Rates – What It Means

The fertility rate is a measure of the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime, in a specific population or region.

It is calculated by dividing the total number of live births in a given year by the number of women of reproductive age (usually defined as ages 15-49) in that same year and then multiplying the result by a factor that adjusts for the age distribution of women in the population.

The replacement fertility rate is the number of children that each woman needs to have on average in order to replace herself and her partner in the population over the long term.

In other words, it is the fertility rate at which the population size remains constant, neither increasing nor decreasing.

The replacement fertility rate is typically estimated to be around 2.1 children per woman.

Any country with a fertility rate lower than that tends to have a population decline unless it increases life expectancy or experiences an inflow of immigrants.

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The Fastest-Shrinking Countries in the World: Declining Populations

10th – China

Fertility rate: 1.45 births per woman

Population in 1990: 1,153,704,200 people

Population in 2022: 1,425,887,400 people

Projected Population for 2050: 1,312,636,300 people

Forecasted population decline of China: -7.9%

One of the main reasons for the Chinese decline is the country’s one-child policy, which was in place from 1979 to 2015.

The policy was meant to control the population growth rate, but it had unintended consequences, such as a disproportionately high number of male children being born due to a cultural preference for sons. China is the worldwide leader in the number of abortions already for decades, and abortive procedures often are executed after parents discovering they will have a girl.

The policy has also led to an aging population and a shrinking workforce, which could have a negative impact on China’s economic and growth rate. Additionally, the high cost of living in urban areas has discouraged people from having children, and many couples are choosing to delay or forgo having children altogether.

Another contributing factor is China’s rapidly aging population, which puts pressure on the country’s healthcare and pension systems.

The country’s birth rate has been consistently declining since the 1980s, and as a result, the proportion of elderly people is increasing. By 2050, it is estimated that almost 30% of the Chinese population will be over 60 years old. This aging population puts pressure on the government to provide adequate healthcare and pension benefits, while also raising concerns about the future of the country’s workforce and economic growth.

Population of China 2021 - PopulationPyramid.net. The 10th worst among the countries with declining populations

9th – Russia

Fertility rate: 1.5 births per woman

Population in 1990: 148,005,700

Population in 2022: 144,713,310

Projected Population for 2050: 133,133,030

Forecasted population decline of Russia: -8%

Russia’s population decline is due to a combination of low fertility rates, high mortality rates, and emigration.

Emigration is a major problem in the poorest areas since Russia is one of the most unequal countries in the world.

According to the United Nations, Russia’s population is expected to decline by 10 million people by 2050. Factors contributing to this decline include high levels of alcohol and tobacco consumption, a lack of access to quality healthcare, and a high incidence of infectious diseases.

Emigration is also a significant factor, with many young and educated Russians leaving the country in search of better opportunities, something that increased after the sanctions imposed due to the invasion of Ukraine. Western countries and even places in the middle east like Dubai received considerable number of Russians escaping sanctions.

One curious phenomenon in Russia is that male life expectancy is way lower than female due to high suicide rates, violence, and alcoholism.

Population of Russian Federation 2020 - PopulationPyramid.net. The 9th worst among the countries with declining populations

8th – Portugal

Fertility rate: 1.44 births per woman

Population in 1990: 10,007,347

Population in 2022: 10,270,857

Projected Population for 2050: 9,261,306

Forecasted population decline of Portugal: -9.8%

Portugal’s population decline is due to low fertility rates and emigration (despite it being very attractive to foreign pensioners and figuring among the best retirement destinations in the world). It managed to keep it population somehow stable during the last decades due to an influx of immigrants from Brazil and other portuguese speaking nations.

According to a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Portugal has the highest rate of emigration among OECD countries, with an estimated 2.5 million Portuguese citizens living abroad.

Population of Portugal 2020 - PopulationPyramid.net. The 8th worst among the countries with declining populations

7th – Cuba

Fertility rate: 1.6 births per woman

Population in 1990: 10,626,679

Population in 2022: 11,212,198

Projected Population for 2050: 10,028,082

Forecasted population decline of Cuba: -10.6%

In Cuba, the demographic decline is due to low birth rates and emigration. Cuba’s birth rate has been declining since the 1970s, due in part to family planning policies, economic pressure and changing cultural norms.

Emigration, especially from the Island to the USA, has also been a factor.

Population of Cuba 2020 - PopulationPyramid.net. The 7th worst among the countries with declining populations

6th – Romania

Fertility rate: 1.58 births per woman

Population in 1990: 22,836,234

Population in 2022: 19,659,270

Projected Population for 2050: 17,457,214

Forecasted population decline of Romania: -11.2%

Romania’s declining population is due to low fertility rates and emigration in recent years. Many young and educated Romanians left the country in search of better opportunities.

This is a common situation in Eastern Europe, and that is why there is one of the neighboring countries of Romania at the top of this list.

According to a report from Bloomberg, during the past decade, millions of Romanians have left the country and headed toward more developed countries since their admission into the European Union

Population of Romania 2022 - PopulationPyramid.net. The 6th worst among the countries with declining populations

5th – Italy

Fertility rate: 1.3 births per woman

Population in 1990: 56,756,560

Population in 2022: 59,037,470

Projected Population for 2050: 52,250,484

Forecasted population decline of Italy: -11.5%

Italy’s population decline is due to low fertility rates and aging. The country has one of the lowest birth rates outside eastern Asia, with an average of 1.3 children per woman.

Italy also has one of the oldest populations in the world, with a median age of 47.3 years. This demographic shift is putting a strain on the country’s economy and social welfare systems, as there are fewer young people to support the growing number of elderly citizens.

Population of Italy 2020 - PopulationPyramid.net. The 5th worst among the countries with declining populations

4th – South Korea

Fertility rate: 1.39 births per woman

Population in 1990: 44,120,040

Population in 2022: 51,815,810

Projected Population for 2050: 45,770,870

Forecasted population decline of South Korea: -11.7%

In South Korea, the demographic decline is driven by low birth rates and an aging population. South Korea has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, due in part to changing cultural norms and economic pressures.

One of the main reasons for such low numbers is the fact that the country has one of the worst work-life balances in the world according to the OECD.

The country also has a rapidly aging and declining population now, with a growing number of elderly people who require care and support.

Population of Republic of Korea 2020 - PopulationPyramid.net. The 4th worst among the countries with declining populations

3th – Greece

Fertility rate: 1.31 births per woman

Population in 1990: 10,302,255

Population in 2022: 10,384,972

Projected Population for 2050: 9,144,953

Forecasted population decline of Greece: -11.9%

Greece’s population is expected to drop almost 12% during the next decades, and the demographic decline is due to a combination of lower birth rates (an issue common in many european countries), high emigration, and an aging population.

Greece’s birth rate has been declining since the 1980s, and emigration has been a factor as young people leave in search of better economic opportunities and to escape the negative impacts of the serious economic downfall that started in 2009.

The country’s population also has a high proportion of elderly people, with a low ratio of working-age people to support them.

Population of Greece 2020 - PopulationPyramid.net. The 3rd worst among the countries with declining populations

2th – Japan

Fertility rate: 1.34

Population in 1990: 123,686,320

Population in 2022: 123,951,700

Projected Population for 2050: 103,784,360

Forecasted population decline of Japan: -16.3%

In Japan, the demographic decline is largely due to a low birth rate and an aging population. Japan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, due in part to changing cultural norms and economic pressures.

The country also has a rapidly aging population, with a growing number of elderly people who require care and support. Japan’s government has been implementing policies to encourage people to have more children, such as increasing childcare support and offering financial incentives.

However, these policies have had limited success so far in reversing the country’s demographic decline.

Population of Japan 2020 - PopulationPyramid.net. The 2nd worst among the countries with declining populations

1st – Bulgaria

Fertility rate: 1.56

Population in 1990: 8,767,778

Population in 2022: 6,781,955

Projected Population for 2050: 5,187,394

Forecasted population decline of Bulgaria: -23.5%

Bulgaria tops our list of countries with declining populations, but as we can see, their fertility rateis not that bad when compared to other countries in this list (although still alarmingly below replacement levels). That gives a hint that the reason for Bulgaria occupying the top place among the fastest declining populations is another.

It is an issue that also affected a few other Eastern European countries: the exodus of young professionals after the entrance into the European Union. The population decline may be well one of the reasons the local government instituted programs to bring remote workers and pensioners to Bulgaria.

After Bulgaria’s entrance into the European Union in 2007, many Bulgarians emigrated to other EU countries in search of better economic opportunities and higher standards of living. This resulted in a brain drain of skilled workers, leaving behind an aging population with fewer young people to support them.

So, Tl;DR: Bulgaria’s demographic decline is due to a combination of factors, including low birth rates, high death rates, and, most of all, emigration. Curiously, despite the low fertility rates, Bulgaria is also one of the easiest countries in the world to adopt a baby from.

Population of Bulgaria 2019 - PopulationPyramid.net. The worst among the countries with declining populations

What More We Should Know About The Current Population Decline?

What is the main reason behind the current population decline in many countries?

The main reasons behind the declining population in many countries, particularly in European countries, are a combination of low fertility rates, aging population, and high emigration rates. The fertility rate in these countries has significantly dropped below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman, leading to fewer births and an overall population decline. Furthermore, the aging population results in a higher death rate, and high emigration rates cause a loss of young working-age individuals, further contributing to the problem.

What is the global impact of an expected population decline?

The global population is expected to reach its peak around 2100 and then start to decline slowly. This could have several implications such as economic challenges due to a shrinking workforce and the increasing costs of providing healthcare and social services to an aging population. Furthermore, a declining population can lead to reduced demand for goods and services, lower economic growth, and potential political instability in affected countries.

If you enjoyed this article about countries with declining populations, here are a few other reading suggestions for you:

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Best Countries Ranking

The Best Places to Retire in Spain

Discover The Best Places to Retire in Spain (and Why Madrid is Not in The Top 10)

If you have already read any of my other articles about retirement abroad, you can jump straight to the first subtitle (Why are we writing about retiring in Spain?). If not, keep reading from the beginning to get some context about the best places to retire in Spain.

My company helps expats. Many of these people know what they want and just need help. What about retiring in X? What’s your opinion? they ask me.

Often I don’t know what to say. I tell my team to research the destination and write a detailed report so I can give our customers the information they need.

Not surprisingly, most of the destinations are warm places with idyllic beaches. Below is the resumed version of some reports we did, available for free for you:

Ps: Check also our Youtube Channel.

Why are we writing about retiring in Spain?

As we said, our team wrote about a myriad of countries that are among the favorite places for pensioners, remote workers, and digital nomads.

There is a certain country that we wrote a few times about on our website: Spain.

It figured in multiple articles and ranks we made (more about these ranks below) because the demand for people interested in moving to Spain is massive.

But we never wrote about where to live in Spain, especially if you are a pensioner.

Until now…

Before jumping on the best places to retire in Spain, let’s understand the criteria used.

The Criteria to Define the 10 Best Places to Retire in Spain

While some aspects of the decision to move somewhere are indeed subjective, we specified a set of objective indicators and data to select the best places to retire in Spain.

Some other aspects, like the bureaucracy of moving to some places, we decided to leave out. The reason is that they would differ drastically from reader to reader. For example, if you are an American, moving to Valencia demands a few more bureaucratic steps (but it is still doable) than if you are German.

Hospital beds per 1000 inhabitants.

This may not be that important if you are part of the FIRE movement, but if we are talking about the traditional idea of retirement (when we are already at a certain age), good healthcare is necessary because people get sicker as they get older.

While this is not always the case, a city with few hospital beds per 1000 people may have an overburdened healthcare system. This can delay medical procedures and make specialized care harder to get. However, a city with many hospital beds per 1000 people often will have a decent healthcare system.

The source for this data is the Ministerio de Sanidad(Health Ministry of Spain).

The income per capita.

A higher income per capita means that the city or region has a higher average income, which typically leads to a higher standard of living, better infrastructure, and access to quality healthcare facilities (since these areas attract better doctors, clinics, and other infrastructure investments).

The data used is from the INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística).

The Human Development Index (HDI)

The “human development index” (HDI) is a composite indicator that goes from 0 to 1. It takes into account factors such as life expectancy, education, and income to provide an overall measure of human development in a certain place.

The HDI is an important indicator when deciding a place for retirement because it provides insight into the overall quality of life in the area.

To put it into perspective, Norway has an HDI of 0.861, while Pakistan has an HDI of 0.544.

The Regional HDI of Spain is calculated by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística or compiled by the GlobalDataLab.

Cost of living per couple and to rent/purchase an apartment in the city center.

This is self-explanatory. If someone is retiring abroad, he/she wants to make the best of her buck.

When we are living on a stable pension from abroad, we look for a place where we can have a good quality of life for the lowest prices.

For these indicators, we used data from Numbeo and Expatistan.

Disclaimer: This indicator uses 2021 data. Since 2022 and 2023 had high inflation, values may be higher now, but the difference between cities (what matters for a comparison) remains.

The average temperature in January

January is the coldest month of the year in the northern hemisphere, and this is also valid for Spain.

Older people are especially affected by cold, so living in a place where negative temperatures are rare can boost immensely their quality of life. Some of the health conditions that are triggered or worsened by colder temperatures are:

Arthritis: Cold weather can cause joint pain, stiffness, and swelling in people with arthritis. This is because cold temperatures can cause the tissues around the joints to contract, leading to increased pressure on the joints.
Influenza and other respiratory infections: Cold weather can weaken the immune system, making older adults more susceptible to respiratory infections like the flu, pneumonia, and bronchitis.
Heart attacks and strokes: Cold temperatures can cause blood vessels to constrict, leading to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes in older adults.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): SAD is a type of depression that occurs during the winter months, and it can affect older adults as well.

The 11 cities we selected as the best places to retire in Spain are ranked below based on their average temperatures in January, from warmest to coldest.

To put into perspective, the average temperature where I live (Poland) is 1.5 negative in January.

Tenerife – 20°C
Malaga – 14°C
Costa del Sol – 14°C
Alicante – 13°C
Valencia – 12°C
Costa de Azahar – 11°C
Mallorca – 10°C
Bilbao – 8°C
Madrid – 7°C
San Sebastian – 7°C

The average maximum temperature in July

While warm weather help with health conditions like Arthritis, excessively high temperatures can also present a risk for older people.

This is especially true when we get close to or above 40 degrees Celsius. I lived for some years in Qatar and high temperatures were one of the major risks for construction workers–mostly young and healthy. For seniors, it is even more dangerous.

That is why we filtered out any city that has an average maximum temperature in July (summer peak) above 32 degrees celsius. This resulted in the removal of cities like Seville (35.5°C of average max. temperature in July) and Córdoba, which has an incredible 36.5°C of average max. temperature in July and many days going above 40°C.

Below is the July average maximum temperature of our selected cities, from highest to lowest.

Costa del Sol – 31°C
Malaga – 30°C
Alicante – 30°C
Mallorca – 30°C
Valencia – 29°C
Costa de Azahar – 29°C
Tenerife – 28°C
Madrid – 28°C
San Sebastian – 23°C
Bilbao – 23°C

Now that all the criteria used are clear, time to go for our list.

The Best Places to Retire in Spain (and Why Madrid Has No Spot in the Top10)

Madrid: good quality of life for pensioners…. but for a high cost.

Population: 3,334,730
Hospital beds per 1000 inhabitants: 1.8 per 1,000 inhabitants
Income per capita: €34,821
HDI: 0.940 (2021)
Cost of living for a couple: €2,506.94 per month
Average maximum temperature in July: 28°C
Average temperature in January: 7°C
Cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: €971.43 per month.

Center of Madrid, Spain. Image edited by ExpatriateConsultancy.com team using resources from Canva.

We were not supposed to put Madrid, the largest Spanish city, on this list of the best places to retire.

However, we inserted it for a few reasons.

The first of them is that there are indeed some pros to retire in the spanish capital.

Pros like the ample offer of high-quality major hospitals, entertainment and cultural options like science and art museums, an international airport that connects you to the entire world, excellent transport links by rail, and all the modern conveniences that a 3-million-people city can offer.

Madrid also has plenty of green spaces (they represent almost 16% of the city) and fresh food is available in the daily central market. In terms of violence, Madrid is a very safe city too.

The second reason we put Madrid in this ranking is that indeed a lot of people (including over 6 thousand other British citizens and expats) choose this city to live in.

But what are the cons of living in one of the largest European cities?

First and foremost, Madrid is expensive (the same is valid for another city we didn’t put in this list, Barcelona). Both the capital and surroundings are ery expensive when compared to many of the cities mentioned here.

If you are retiring abroad, you want to be cost-effective, and compared to other Spanish cities, Madrid is not. Another reason we didn’t put Madrid in the Top 10 is that it can get cold in the winter since the city is located at 657 meters of altitude. The third reason is that it is a 3-million-people metropolis, and therefore, it can get noisy, polluted, and complicated.

But, as we said, it has an excellent healthcare system and great infrastructure.

Mallorca

Population: 896,038
Hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants: 1.9 (Balearic Islands region)
Income per capita: €24,866(Balearic Islands region)
HDI: 0.876 (Balearic Islands region)
Average cost of living for a couple: €2,238.15
Average max. temperature in July: 26°C
Average temperature in January: 10°C
Cost of renting a 1-bedroom apartment in city center: €825

Pros of retiring in Mallorca

Warm and sunny climate all year round.
The Balearic Islands have a good healthcare infrastructure, with 1.9 hospital beds per 1000 inhabitants
Many opportunities for outdoor activities and an invitation to live the beach life.
Due to the touristy nature of the place, it has good airline connectivity.

Cons of retiring in Mallorca

Nearly all the cons of Mallorca are related to the fact that it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain.

High cost of living, especially in peak season.
During the summer months, the place can get really crowded.
It can be noisy close to the most touristic spots and where there is a large concentration of hotels.
Overcrowding and traffic congestion in certain areas due to tourism.

Bilbao: One of the best large cities to retire in Spain

Population: 345,141
Hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants: 2.8 (Basque Country region)
Income per capita: €32,925 (Basque Country region)
HDI: 0.932 (Basque Country region)
Average cost of living for a couple: €2,289.22
Average max. temperature in July: 23°C
Average temperature in January: 8°C
Cost of renting a 1-bedroom apartment in city center: €750

Bilbao, in the Basque Country. Image edited by ExpatriateConsultancy.com team using resources from Canva.

Pros of retiring in Bilbao

High HDI (Human Development Index) of 0.932, which is one of the highest in Spain
Well-developed economically, with plenty of job opportunities for those who want to work in retirement
Good public transportation system, making it easy to get around the city and beyond.

Cons of retiring in Bilbao

The language barrier, as Basque is the lingua franca in the region and many locals prefer it instead Spanish.
Relatively Cold weather, as temperatures can drop lower than in other parts of Spain, especially in the winter
High cost of living, as Bilbao is one of the most expensive cities in Spain
Air pollution can be an issue in some areas of the city
The city may feel crowded and busy, especially during peak tourist season.

If someone prefers a smaller, and fancier alternative for retirement in the Basque region, there is also a city that is worldwide famous for its high cuisine and scenic views: San Sebastián.

San Sebastián: The Fancier, Smaller Alternative in the Basque Country

San Sebastian is situated on the coast of the Golfo de Vizcaya (Bay of Biscay), making it a great location for retirees who enjoy the beach and water activities (although Spain’s north Atlantic coast is much colder than the Mediterranean side). Bilbao, on the other hand, is not directly on the coast, although it is relatively close to some beaches.

San Sebastian also enjoys a milder climate than Bilbao, with average temperatures being a bit warmer and more comfortable throughout the year.

Finally, San Sebastian is a smaller city than Bilbao, with a more laid-back pace of city life. This can be appealing to retirees who prefer a more relaxed lifestyle, away from the hustle and bustle of a larger city.

Population: 186,000
Average cost of living for a couple: €2,400-€2,700/month
Average max. temperature in July: 23°C
Average temperature in January: 7°C
Cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: €1,000-€1,400/month

Tenerife & Canary Islands: the best place to live in Spain if you are suffering from arthritis

Population: 917,841
Number of hospital beds per 1000 inhabitants: 2 beds per 1,000 inhabitants (Canary Islands region)
The income per capita: €18,990 (Canary Islands region)
HDI: 0.902 (Canary Islands region)
Average cost of living for a couple: €1,200 – €1,800 per month
Average max. temperature in July: 28°C
Average temperature in January: 20°C
Cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: €500 – €800 per month

Towns in the Canary Islands. Image edited by ExpatriateConsultancy.com team using resources from Canva.

Living in Tenerife and the Canary Islands as an expatriate retiree can be a mixed experience. While the islands offer a pleasant climate, stunning landscapes, and a relaxed way of life, they also have their challenges.

Expats should be prepared for a slower pace of life, and some areas can feel quite touristy. Additionally, the islands’ remote location can make it difficult to access some goods and services, and the cost of living can be high in certain areas during the high season.

Pros of Retiring in Tenerife and the Canary Islands

Mild winter weather (one could even argue if winter exists there at all) – Tenerife has one of the warmest winters among European cities, making it the best place to retire if you suffer from arthritis.
Decent infrastructure – The islands have a modern infrastructure befitting of a place with almost 1 million residents.
Relatively affordable cost of living – Compared to the Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands (which are located in the Atlantic Ocean) offer a more affordable cost of living.

Cons of retiring in The Canary Islands

Things run slower there – The islands’ relaxed way of life can be frustrating for those used to a faster pace.
It can get touristy – Some parts of the islands can feel overrun by tourists, especially during peak season.
Limited access to goods and services – The islands’ remote location can make it difficult to access certain goods and services.
High cost of living in some areas – While the cost of living can be relatively affordable, certain areas can be quite expensive (general rule of thumb: the closer to popular beaches, the more expensive it gets).

Málaga – Low Living Costs and Good Connectivity

Population: 578,460
Hospital beds per 1000 inhabitants: 1.8 (Andalusian region)
Income per capita: €20,321
HDI: 0.860
Average cost of living for a couple: €1,800-€2,200/month
Average max. temperature in July: 28°C
Average temperature in January: 12°C
Cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: €700-€1,100/month

Malaga, in Spain. Image edited by ExpatriateConsultancy.com team using resources from Canva.

Málaga, located in the autonomous community of Andalusia, is home to a large and welcoming expat community. Multiple retirees from all over Europe chose to make their home in this part of Spain.

The city also boasts excellent airline connectivity to other countries and parts of Europe, making it easy for retirees to travel and stay connected with loved ones. However, as with any location, there are also potential downsides to consider.

Pros of living in Málaga

Low cost of living
Good healthcare infrastructure with 1.8 hospital beds per 1000 inhabitants
Considerable expat community
Excellent airline connectivity to other European countries.

Cons of retirement in Malaga City

Andalusia is one of the least developed regions in Spain. The unemployment rate is relatively high, which creates some other problems that can affect retirees.
Hot summers can be uncomfortable for some
High levels of tourism during the summer months can make the city feel crowded
Andalusian bureaucracy can be frustrating and time-consuming

Only 81 kilometers from Málaga, in southern Spain, is a little region that is extremely attractive to pensioners that are beach lovers: Costal del Sol.

Costa del Sol: One of the best places to retire in Spain by the sea

Average cost of living for a couple: €1,700-€2,000/month
Average max temperature in July: 31°C
Average temperature in January: 14°C
Cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: €650-€1,100/month

Living in the Costa del Sol as an expatriate pensioner can have its ups and downs. While the climate and relaxed lifestyle can be appealing, the region can also be quite crowded and expensive in certain areas.

Three of the favorite places for expatriates in the region are Marbella, Benalmadena, and Fuengirola.

Marbella is known for its upscale amenities and is a popular destination for wealthy retirees. The city offers high-end shopping, fine dining, and world-class golf courses. The cost of living can be quite high there.

Benalmadena is located between Malaga and Marbella and offers a more affordable option for expatriate pensioners, and Fuengirola is just 25 minutes from Malaga airport. The town has a long promenade, and beautiful beaches, and the cost of living in Fuengirola can be quite reasonable, making it an attractive option.

The Costa del Azahar: A Forbes-selected Spot 100km Far from Valencia

Population: 406,703
Hospital beds per 1000 inhabitants: 2.1 (Regional data)
Income per capita: €22,289 (Regional data)
Average cost of living for a couple: €1,300-€1,600/month
Average max. temperature in July: 29°C
Average temperature in January: 11°C

The region is known as Costa del Azahar is located on the eastern coast of Spain, and has a relaxed lifestyle with a warm Mediterranean climate.

While not as well-known as the Costa del Sol or the Costa Blanca, it is becoming an increasingly popular destination for retirees seeking a quieter pace of life. A few years ago, the fame of the place was boosted when the magazine Forbes mentioned it among the best places to retire.

Popular areas for expats include Peñiscola, Benicassim, and Castellón, de la Plana.

Peñiscola is a beach town known for its golden sand beaches and medieval castle, Benicassim is a popular resort town, and Castellón de la Plana is a larger city (not in the seaside, but not far either) with a historic center and wide variety of amenities.

Alicante – One of the lowest costs of living.

Due to its low cost of living and a good offer of services, Alicante is also popular among Spanish retirees.

Population: 334,329
Hospital beds per 1000 inhabitants: 2.1 per 1,000 inhabitants (regional data)
Income per capita: €22,289 (regional data)
HDI: 0.889
Cost of living for a couple: €1,791.57 per month.
Average max temperature in July: 30°C
Average temperature in January: 13°C
Cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: €564.29 per month.

Benidorm, 45 kilometers from Alicante, the second best place to retire in Spain — Benidorm, 45 kilometers from Alicante, the second-best place to retire in Spain. Image edited by ExpatriateConsultancy.com team using resources from Canva.

Pros of Retiring in Alicante

Low cost of living, making it an affordable option.
Mild winters, making it an ideal location for those who want to retire overseas but have a low tolerance to cold weather.
Gorgeous beaches and outdoor activities such as hiking and golfing, make it easy to enjoy an active lifestyle.

Cons of Retirement in Alicante

During the summer months sometimes temperatures go over 38°C, which can be uncomfortable for some retirees.
Alicante is near some very popular vacation spots like Benidorm. So during the summer, there is a high population density and a large number of tourists, which can lead to crowded streets and difficulty finding peaceful places to relax.
For services not related to tourism, there is limited availability of English-speaking options, which can make it challenging for retirees who do not speak Spanish (that is why you should learn Spanish if you are considering a move).
Occasional water shortages due to the region’s dry climate, which can affect the availability of water for household use.

Talking about Alicante, very close to there is one of the popular places for English-speaking expats that choose Spain to live: Costa Blanca.

Costa Blanca: One of the trendiest retirement spots in Spain

Costa Blanca, on Spain’s southeast coast, has beautiful white sandy beaches, charming coastal towns, and plenty of sunshine. Many British, German, Dutch, and Scandinavian retirees live in this part of Spain, and often locals speak English as a second language.

The cost of living in the Costa Blanca can vary depending on the specific location within the region. For example, one of the most expensive places is Benidorm, which is also very touristy. In general, the larger coastal cities and tourist areas may have a higher cost of living compared to smaller towns and inland areas.

Cons of retiring in the Costa Blanca

Two drawbacks of living in Costa Blanca are that crowded beaches and tourist spots, especially in summer, make it hard to relax, and some areas have limited public transportation, making it difficult for retirees without cars.

Valencia – Likely the Best Place to Retire not only in Spain but Entire of Europe

Population: 794,288
Number of hospital beds per 1000 inhabitants: 2.1 (Comunidad Valenciana)
Income per capita: €22,289 (Comunidad Valenciana)
HDI: 0.944 (Comunidad Valenciana)
Average cost of living for a couple: €1,500 – €2,000 per month
Average max. temperature in July: 29°C
Average temperature in January: 12°C
Cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: €650 – €900 per month

Valencia, the Best Place to Retire in Spain — Valencia, the best place to retire in Spain. Image edited by ExpatriateConsultancy.com team using resources from Canva.

If you already saw our ranking of the best cities to retire in Europe, you know that Valencia has far more pros than cons.

Spain’s third largest city is extremely safe (it has a homicide rate of 0.6 murders per 100K residents and lower criminality than the more hyped Barcelona for example).

The living costs in the city are remarkably low when compared to other trendy places in Europe. According to Vivre Valencia, anyone can easily find a house with a swimming pool close to the coast for less than a third of the price of the French Riviera.

But the attractiveness of a city that is considered by many the ideal retirement destination also raised some issues. Expats should be prepared when trying to find a place to live since competition for housing can be intense, and in some areas, prices increased considerably.

Pros of Retirement in Valencia

Valencia is one of the most popular destinations for expatriates in Spain. Foreigners represent almost 13% of the city population, and there are many events for this public.
There is a large English speaking community in the city.
High HDI – The city has a high Human Development Index (0.944), reflecting a high quality of life.
High-quality healthcare infrastructure
Airline and rail connections to other parts of Europe.
With close to 800k residents, Valencia is neither too large nor too small for most people.

Cons of Retirement in Valencia

Competition for housing can be fierce, particularly in popular areas.
Increasingly crowded – As Valencia became more popular, the city can feel crowded, particularly during peak tourist season.

Conclusion: The Best Places to Retire in Spain

Taking into consideration factors like the Human Development Index (HDI), the number of hospital beds per 1000 inhabitants, the average cost of living for a couple, the average cost of housing, and temperatures in July and January, we ranked the best places to retire in Spain:

11 – Madrid

10 – Mallorca

8 – Bilbao and San Sebastián

7 – The Canary Islands

4 – Málaga, Costa del Sol and Costa de Azahar

2 – Alicante and Costa Blanca

1 – Valencia – The Best Place to Retire in Spain

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The Costs of Gastric Sleeve Surgery Abroad in 2023

We compared the costs of Gastric Sleeve surgery abroad in 15 different countries vs the US

Ps: Check also the Youtube channel The Expat

Some years ago, I was spending holidays with my wife in Brazil (which is also the place where I was born and lived for a good part of my life).

One thing that she noticed is that the prices of dentists in Brazil (at that time) were much smaller than here in Europe. This happened for a few factors:

1st — Devaluated currency,

2nd — Taxes,

and, most important:

3rd — A much higher ratio of dentists per capita. In fact, Brazil has the largest number of dentists per 10.000 people in the world.

Since we realized that, often when I travel to Brazil to visit my family there, I schedule a visit to the dentist and do whatever needs to be done.

This helps me to save some money.

But this article is about something more complicated than going to the dentist.

Traveling somewhere for medical treatment while looking for affordable prices is an increasing practice, called medical tourism. Patients (or medical tourists) can find in other countries private clinics that use modern techniques, and often doctors abroad speak English.

The example of the dentist prices I gave abroad is just to illustrate the reasons why a certain surgery that is gaining extreme popularity may be so much cheaper broader than in the USA.

I am talking about an aesthetical surgery that is often difficult to convince health insurance providers to refund.

What is gastric sleeve surgery, also known as bariatric surgery?

Gastric sleeve surgery, also known as sleeve gastrectomy, is a weight loss surgery that involves removing a large portion of the stomach and turning it smaller, into the shape of a banana.

It is a major surgical procedure and should only be considered after other weight loss methods, such as diet and exercise, have been unsuccessful. Gastric sleeve surgeons use general anesthesia and advanced equipment to perform small incisions in the patient.

This surgery is typically recommended for people who are severely overweight or have obesity-related health problems. One of the considered thresholds is that only patients with a body mass index above 35 should consider a gastric surgery.

When the surgery reduces the size of the stomach, it limits the amount of food that can be eaten at one time, which can help individuals feel full faster and eat fewer calories and less food. Frequently, obese people after the surgery quickly lose extra pounds and recover their self esteem.

It is important to make clear that gastric sleeve surgery is one type of bariatric surgery (a term that encompasses other procedures intended to reduce body weight). But not the only one.

It is also important to remember that this surgery is not efficient in all cases of obesity problems. Sometimes it also doesn’t work.

Would I submit myself to bariatric surgery? No, because right now I don’t need it.

Would I recommend it to someone? Also not, but just because I am not a doctor but just a random guy on the internet that loves statistics about different countries (proof of that is the time I spent comparing Uber prices in different capitals).

And this is what brought me to the idea of researching the price of this surgery in different countries.

Bariatric Surgeries are among the most popular procedures nowadays, but they are expensive

Differently from the example of the dental treatments I gave at the beginning of this article, plastic surgery like a gastric sleeve operation is a much more complicated procedure and way more expensive. Often health insurance companies in Western countries do not cover such treatment in a private clinic.

The price differences across multiple countries are big enough to define if someone can afford weight loss surgery or not.

Our Sources for Costs of Gastric Sleeve Surgery Abroad

To research the prices of gastric sleeve surgeries across the globe I used two websites: NewChoiceHealth and WhatClinic.com. Both are updated with recent information.

If we are going to compare costs, it is also important to define what is included in this price. In this article, the cost includes:

The average cost of gastric sleeve surgery is $9,350.1 This cost generally includes the following associated fees:

Anesthesia
Hospital fee
Doctor and Surgeon’s fees
Exams before the procedure (lab and X-ray).
Follow-up care

The Cost of Gastric Sleeve Surgery Inside the US

In the US, according to NewChoiceHealth, the average cost of gastric sleeve surgery is US$16,750.

Since the US is a huge country with big differences in terms of salaries, taxes, and other expenses, naturally there is a large deviation from the data when we analyze individual states.

Some examples of local prices for these types of weight loss surgeries inside the US:

Tampa, FL: price ranges from $9,420 to $15,840.
Baltimore, MD: price ranges from $9,560 to $16,390.
St. Louis, MO: price ranges from $10,260 to $17,710.
San Diego, CA: price ranges from $10,500 to $22,550.
Boston, MA: price ranges from $12,320 to $26,510.

So inside the US, the same procedure may cost for the pockets of bariatric surgery patients three times more depending on the city.

The Cost of Gastric Sleeve Surgery Abroad

The prices are from WhatClinic.com and are shown together with the name of the clinic that offers the procedure. If the hospital or clinic provided a price range, we consider the higher end.

The author of this article has no relationship with any of these clinics, was given no incentive to mention them, and cannot personally recommend them, as he has never had bariatric surgery. All data is public.

For the list below, we selected only clinics that were listed in a recognized directory of clinics (WhatClinic.com) for treatment abroad and most of them have positive reviews from international patients.

You will notice that many of these places are also among the best countries to study medicine abroad. This is not a coincidence: when you have good medical schools, you form plenty of bariatric surgeons so the prices for treatments and procedures like laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy decrease.

With no further ado, below are the prices of bariatric surgery abroad, considering 14 different countries.

U.A.E — Dubai

Hospital or Clinic: Tonic Surgery Dubai

Price: From US$12111 to US$14802

Comparison to the US average price for a gastric sleeve surgery: 11.6% cheaper.

Dubai is quickly gaining ground in the medical tourism market. Image edited by the team of The Expat using Canva

Portugal — Porto

Hospital or Clinic: Instituto Medico Privado

Price: From US$8615

Comparison to the US average price for a gastric sleeve surgery: 48.6% cheaper.

Thailand — Bangkok

Hospital or Clinic: Thailand Gastric Sleeve Center

Price: Up to US$8113

Comparison to the US average price for a gastric sleeve surgery: 51.6% cheaper.

Malaysia — Petaling Jaya

Hospital or Clinic: Andrea Bariatric Surgery

Price: From US$7805

Comparison to the US average price for a gastric sleeve surgery: 53.4% cheaper.

Brazil — Belo Horizonte

Hospital or Clinic: Hospital São Lucas

Price: Up to US$7568

Comparison to the US average price for a gastric sleeve surgery: 54.8% cheaper.

Belo Horizonte is a large city in the middle of Brazil, with numerous private hospitals and clinics, including for gastric sleeve surgery. — Belo Horizonte is a large city in the middle of Brazil, with numerous private hospitals and clinics.

Ireland — Dublin

Hospital or Clinic: Belgium Surgery Services

Price: From US$6569 to US$7108

Comparison to the US average price for a gastric sleeve surgery: 57.6% cheaper. Dublin is also one of the cheapest cities to fly into Europe from America.

Czech Republic — Prague

Hospital or Clinic: Prague Medical Institute

Price: From US$5923 to US$7000

Comparison to the US average price for a gastric sleeve surgery: 58.2% cheaper.

Belgium — Ypres

Hospital or Clinic: ECFS Obesity Solutions

Price: From US$6246

Comparison to the US average price for a gastric sleeve surgery: 62.7% cheaper.

Mexico — Monterrey

Hospital or Clinic: Monterrey Gastro & Bariatric Group

Price: From US$5800 to US$6100

Comparison to the US average price for a gastric sleeve surgery: 63.6% cheaper.

The small distance to the US and famous medical schools made Monterrey in Mexico a top destination for medical tourism.

Lithuania — Kaunas

Hospital or Clinic: B&W Medica

Price: From US$5920

Comparison to the US average price for a gastric sleeve procedure: 64.7% cheaper.

Poland — Nowy Targ

Hospital or Clinic: Allmedica

Price: From US$4826 — $5056

Comparison to the US average price for a gastric sleeve procedure: 69.8% cheaper.

A curious non-related fact: Poland also has one of the cheapest Uber rates in Europe.

Cyprus — Nicosia

Hospital or Clinic: Cosmetic Surgery Cyprus

Price: From US$4686

Comparison to the US average price: 72% cheaper.

Cyprus is one of the most inexpensive countries for medical tourism inside the Eurozone, including gastric sleeve surgery. — Cyprus is one of the most inexpensive countries for medical tourism inside the Eurozone

Egypt — Alexandria

Hospital or Clinic: Dr. Islam Abdelkhalek Clinic

Price: From US$3043 to US$3164

Comparison to the US average price: 81.1% cheaper.

Turkey — Istambul

Hospital or Clinic: APERA Clinic

Price: From US$2434 to US$3104.

Comparison to the US average price: 81.5% cheaper.

Table with the Costs of Gastric Sleeve Surgery Abroad

Country	City	Clinic Name	Price (From)	Price (To)	Price Difference to the US
The United States	National Average	–	16,750	16,750	0.00%
U.A.E	Dubai	Tonic Surgery Dubai	12111	14802	-11.60%
Portugal	Porto	Instituto Medico Privado	8615		-48.60%
Thailand	Bangkok	Thailand Gastric Sleeve Center		8113	-51.60%
Malaysia	Petaling Jaya	Andrea Bariatric Surgery	7805		-53.40%
Brazil	Belo Horizonte	Hospital São Lucas		7568	-54.80%
Ireland	Dublin	Belgium Surgery Services	6569	7108	-57.60%
Czech Republic	Prague	Prague Medical Institute	5923	7000	-58.20%
Belgium	Ypres	ECFS Obesity Solutions	6246		-62.70%
Mexico	Monterrey	Monterrey Gastro & Bariatric Group	5800	6100	-63.60%
Lithuania	Kaunas	B&W Medica	5920		-64.70%
Poland	Nowy Targ	Allmedica	4826	5056	-69.80%
Cyprus	Nicosia	Cosmetic Surgery Cyprus	4686		-72.00%
Egypt	Alexandria	Dr. Islam Abdelkhalek Clinic	3043	3164	-81.10%
Turkey	Istambul	APERA Clinic	2434	3104	-81.50%

Table with the costs of Gastric Sleeve Surgery Abroad (Different Countries).

If you enjoyed this article about the costs of gastric sleeve surgery abroad, here are a few other travel tips and reading suggestions for you:

The Most (and The LEAST) Aesthetic Capital Cities in Europe

The 7 Countries With The Worst Work-Life Balance in The OECD

The Best Cities for Remote Workers in 2023

The Mind-Blowing Tourist Scams You Can Find in Europe

Best Countries Ranking

The Most Beautiful European Capitals in 2023 (And the…

The Most Beautiful Cities in Europe Among Capitals, As Seen Through My Own Eyes

PS: Most of the pictures in this article about the most beautiful capital cities in Europe were taken by me, the author. Since I am not a photographer, they likely don’t do justice to how glorious some places are.

Ps2: Visit also our channel, The Expat

During the last few years, both as part of my job as a hospitality entrepreneur and writer and also as an avid traveler, I visited 22 capital cities in Europe, not counting microstates like the Vatican city (since they don’t have capital cities).

What is Europe’s most beautiful city? is one of the most common questions we get.

Some people say that beauty is difficult to define. I disagree. Beauty is a combination of qualities that please the aesthetic senses.

What is subjective is what each person finds pleasing to their sense of beauty. I once met a guy who considered that black fabric for furniture was better than gobelins or jacquard. He said he was a minimalist, and that is why he preferred plain, dull black. Later on, he revealed that it was not the black that was more beautiful for him, but he preferred it since it was more difficult to spot stains when it got dirty.

So, in this list, you can expect cities that please the senses. At least they pleased mine and all my companies when we visited them.

I am also not evaluating anything else other than the aesthetic criteria. Some of the cities with low scores fare remarkably well in other things, like history-filled Bucharest. All these cities, however, are relatively safe, and none of them figure among the most dangerous cities in Europe.

Each city is rated from 0 to 10. It may be cruel, and if anyone has any point to make, feel free to do so in the comment section.

However, once more: this is not supposed to be an insult, and while some cities may not be the most aesthetic, they have their own qualities.

With no further ado, it’s time to start. Since the article is about the most beautiful cities in Europe from worse to best, we start with the ugliest.

**The LEAST Beautiful Capital City In Europe*: Berlin, Germany**

*The least among the visited ones.

Rating (from 0 to 10): 3

Berlin is ugly. Yes, it has an interesting past; every district is full of history, it has an iconic landmark like the wall, and it is a great place to party if you like electronic music (like I do).

But it is ridiculously ugly. Let’s start with the bizarre TV tower that just looks like a giant toothpick (to not say worse).

Then we see dozens of construction sites and graffiti-covered walls with unexplained characters that try to be edgy but are just an eyesore.

The former communist part still looks like a desolate concrete jungle, and there is a complete lack of harmony with the (still-existent) historical buildings… argh.

Yes, Berlin is not among the prettiest cities in Europe or Germany (Munich is a much more charming city).

I dare to say that Berlin is not even the most beautiful city in Berlin.

Read also: Is Berlin safe in 2023?

20 — Tirana, Albania

Rating: 4.5

While Berlin is ugly despite being the capital of a wealthy country, the same cannot be said about Tirana.

Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, and Tirana reflects that. Still, this nation has some lovely cities, like Shkoder, and the people I met there are remarkably friendly.

19 — Bucharest, Romania

Rating: 5

When I visited Bucharest, the tour guide started with this short explanation:

This city used to be beautiful. However, in the 70s there was an earthquake; large parts of the city were destroyed, and the communist dictator who ruled the country decided to rebuild it according to his own taste.

The dictator (Ceaușescu) apparently had a particular taste for urban landscaping. The city has large avenues and is relatively well-planned, but sadly, concretism and brutalism are everywhere.

But Romania does have many gorgeous cities, and I’ve already suggested Brasov for a winter trip in Europe.

18 — Podgorica (Montenegro) and Sofia (Bulgaria)

Rating: 5.5

Both cities have a similar past: communism.

As someone who also lives in a former communist capital, I do recognize that there are some positive points, like the abundance of services always available at a close distance (making cars something completely dispensable).

But the buildings are ugly. As in almost all former communist countries (and for some reason, in Brazil), public buildings and urban planning followed a school of architecture called brutalism.

Brutalism emphasizes the functionality of a building over its aesthetics. This indicates that the function of the building takes precedence over its aesthetics. Practical factors like the building’s function or the materials available frequently are preferred over beauty.

Podgorica however, is a surprisingly interesting destination for the month of January.

16 — Moscow (Russia) and Bratislava (Slovakia)

Rating: 6

Moscow and Bratislava also share a common point: both are aesthetically outclassed by their former sister cities.

Saint Peterburg (the Russian capital until the Bolshevik revolution) and Prague (the capital of Czechoslovakia, the country where Bratislava belonged until 1992) are way more attractive.

It is not that both don’t have their beautiful parts. Moscow has some really beautiful squares, parks, and historical buildings, and the same can be said for Bratislava. But they are just small parts drowning in a much larger brutalist setting that reminds the clichés about eastern Europe (although Bratislava is technically in central Europe).

14 — Warsaw (Poland) and Belgrade (Serbia)

Rating: 6.5

Warsaw has a lovely old town, except that it is not really old but a reconstruction of the former old town that was completely destroyed during World War II. It is still beautiful, and if you are somewhere around, visit it.

Belgrade is the same. Stari Grad is pretty charming (and the street sellers of Rakia during the evenings made it even better). The city was dangerous in the past but the criminal clans are virtually gone. Today, it is one of the most vibrant cities in the Balkans.

The farther you go from the old town square, they are ordinary cities with traffic jams and some cringy post-modernist buildings, like the recently built (and pathetic-looking) Warsaw museum of modern art.

However, for history lovers like me, both cities are remarkable and have really good museums. In 24 hours in Warsaw, you can be shaken by the place’s history.

*Nowy Świat, one of the most iconic streets of Warsaw, with its XIX-century architecture. It is a modern reconstruction since nearly everything was destroyed during World War II.* Picture by the author (Levi Borba)

12 — London (England)

Rating: 6.75

This was likely the most difficult rating for me to give.

From one side, London has splendid historic buildings with beautiful architecture like the Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, and Big Ben. Even the hostel where I stayed there (the Palmers Lodge at the Swiss Cottage) was located in a charming house.

But at the same time, London is a noisy modern city, quite crowded, and has monstrosities like:

The Shard. It is like a giant glass pencil that got stuck in the ground and forgot to sharpen its point. Tall and shiny, like a beacon for birds looking to crash into something.
The Minster Building Some people call it neo-gothic, but I call it silly. It looks too cartoonish, almost as if an architect tried to design an office tower based on the castle of Gargamel from the Smurfs.
The Trellick Tower Despite the fact that England was never under communist rule, somehow they managed to build a brutalist monster that could come from the darkest corners of the USSR.

Somehow, and that is a very subjective impression, I feel that London is the most Americanized of all European capitals, and this is slowly destroying its English atmosphere.

11 — Dublin (Ireland) and Athens (Greece)

Rating: 7

Dublin (which is also one of the cheapest destinations to fly into Europe if you are in America) has numerous examples of Georgian architecture that are very well preserved, as well cobblestone streets that transport you back in time. If it were not for some random post-modern buildings creeping into this scenario, I would give them even more than a 7.

Athens could be much higher. This ancient city has iconic landmarks enough to be one of the most visited tourist destinations in the entire world. The not-so-ancient is also worth a visit, like the many orthodox churches.

But… apparently, years of economic turmoil have taken a heavy toll on the city. Outside of the most famous districts, like Plaka (and the pretty colorful houses), many places look rundown. Athens also got more dangerous, unfortunately.

Check also: the most dangerous city in Europe by country.

9— Budapest (Hungary) and Vilnius (Lithuania)

Rating: 7.5

Budapest has some splendid districts that mix Neoclassical, Gothic, and Baroque architecture, bringing from one side a Habsburg flair influenced by oriental scents — check the thermal baths. The Danube River in the background makes it even more charming.

The Hungarian capital. has one of the most amazing Christmas markets in Europe, in a scenario that fits perfectly the seasonal feeling (and where you can find delicious food).

Vilnius is a hidden gem in the Baltics, a city that I visited almost by accident and loved.

It is an underdog on almost any tourist route and one of the most underrated cities among the capitals of European countries. For this reason, it is also one of the most surprising little capitals you can visit. This lovely city is also very walkable.

7 — Prague (Czech Republic) and Lisbon (Portugal)

Rating: 8

Prague was a disappointment for many reasons for me, from the scammers and excessive number of tourist traps to some “attractions” trying to rip you off all the time (apparently the only things that are really cheap there nowadays are beer and bariatric surgery).

But one cannot deny that this former capital of the Holy Roman Empire is charming with its cobbled streets and medieval architecture. Here are some travel tips for when you visit Europe, including the most visited city in the Czech Republic.

The Prague castle and the St. Vitus cathedral are two must-visit, even if you just see the external parts. The Charles Bridge is another very aesthetic landmark that you can see for free. Finally, Prague is a relatively compact city, with a well preserved old town.

Lisbon didn’t disappoint me, but the opposite.

I didn’t have high expectations, and it surprised me positively with its colorful buildings, well-preserved monuments, the feeling of safety, and harmonic urban arrangement.

I just wish I could spend more time there since I couldn’t yet visit some of the not-so-popular attractions like the Telecabine Lisboa, a cable car with panoramic views over the Tagus river.

As strange as it may sound, if I had to describe one city as tasty, it would be Lisbon.

5 — Paris (France) and Copenhagen (Denmark)

Rating: 8.5

Some context is needed to explain this particular pair in the top 5 of the most beautiful capital cities in Europe. Once on a social media network, someone asked what city was better in Europe: Paris or (secret: this city actually tops our list).

I said that Paris couldn’t compare to this city, even though the French capital does have a lot of lovely buildings, streets, and parks (but the Eiffel tower is overrated). Boulevards like the Champs-Élysées make strolling around one of the most exquisite experiences.

Unfortunately, the city is slowly creeping into certain hypes of questionable taste.

One of these hypes was the so-called high-tech architecture, and the ugly fruit of this in Paris was the Centre Georges Pompidou. It was supposed to look modern, and maybe it looked like that when it was built in the 70s. Nowadays, it is kitsch and completely out of place.

Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Image edited by ExpatriateConsultancy.com team using resources from Canva.

Copenhagen, on the other hand, may not have the same heritage or architectural richness as larger European cities, and neither boulevards like Paris. But it is a capital city with the feeling of a smaller, regional town, where you can go by bicycle everywhere.

It is a very balanced city, where life looks simpler (not sure if this is just an impression or reality, since I spent just a short time there).

The 3rd Most Beautiful Capital City in Europe: Valletta (Malta)

Rating: 9

Valletta brought me back in time, and I fell in love with this city as a shipwrecked sailor would in the XVI century.

There is a bit of bias here. Because I love Baroque.

And there is only one other capital in the world (which is next in this ranking) where you can see such an intensity of Baroque masterpieces translated into buildings, winding streets, roofs, quaint cafes, etc. as in the picturesque city of Valletta.

The Maltese capital is quite recent, developed by crusaders during the XVI century (that explains why Baroque is everywhere there) in substitution to Mdina, a medieval old town located in the center of the island.

It is not a surprise that such a beautiful city is a popular retirement destination in Europe. Almost the entire city is a UNESCO world heritage site.

The palaces, alleys, piers, and all other man-made wonders are in a perfect fusion between rich history, the privileged natural landscape, the Mediterranean Sea (not far from Valletta is Mellieha, one of my favorite beach towns in Europe), and the carved coast.

It is a feast for the eyes.

Valletta (Malta),the third place in our list of the most beautiful capital cities in Europe. — Valletta (Malta). Picture by the author (Levi Borba)

The 2 Most Beautiful Capitals in Europe (Surprise?)

More than once, I have been asked what the most beautiful city I have ever visited is.

My answer is always the same: Rome and Vienna.

And as a father, when asked which kid is his favorite, I refuse to say which one is better, for the same reason the father would:

They are thoroughly different cities, and both are majestic in their own way.

Rome, the eternal city, is the triumph of the human will and of the aspirations that nourish and move our spirit.

Many of Rome’s details, from a distance, look just like marble and stone, but the grandeur of the whole is breathtaking. Rome gets crowded, however, and that is why I recommend visiting it in November.

And this grandeur crosses millennia, from the Castel Sant’Angelo, built over the foundations of the Mausoleum of Hadrian, a construction of almost two thousand years…

Castel Sant’Angelo (former Mausoleum of Hadrian), and the river Tiber in Rome. Picture by the author (Levi Borba).

Or modern buildings, like the Altare della Patria, a monument finished at the beginning of the XX century.

Altare della Patria, also known as Victor Emmanuel II Monument, in Rome, one of the two most beautiful capital cities in Europe — *Altare della Patria*, also known as Victor Emmanuel II Monument, in Rome. Picture by the author (Levi Borba).

On the other side, Vienna is a hymn to man’s ability to create beauty in every inch, word, brushstroke, and musical note.

Vienna is the beauty of details and of good taste. A refined beauty, baroque-rococo, that brings a bit of the divine even in the most trivial constructions

The Habsburgs and their architects, who projected the city, didn’t create buildings only for their functionality.

It needed to be breathtaking in every detail of its Renaissance architecture, almost as if whoever projected these structures, parks, and streets wanted to play a game of “how many jaws can we drop in a day?” at every single building, no matter their purpose.

I could write about well-known top attractions like the Schönbrunn Palace, but Vienna is so much more than that.

This, for example, is their national library.

Austrian National Library. Picture by the author (Levi Borba)

Someone could still say, “So what? It is just some nice wooden shelves and a statue. Not very impressive.”

Then I would tell him to look up, at the ceiling.

Ceiling of Austrian National Library in Vienna — The ceiling of the Austrian National Library. Picture by the author (Levi Borba)

Not far from the library, we passed in front of a cinema. It looked better than the presidential palace of my home country.

Cinema building in Vienna. Picture by the author (Levi Borba)

In the evening, my wife and I decided to have a coffee. A typical Viennese coffee, so we choose a nearby cafe.

I chose a random place that does not even figure in any ranking I saw about the best cafés in Vienna.

Then we entered it, and…

It was simply the most spectacular coffeehouse I have ever been to. The picture doesn’t do justice to how sumptuous the interiors looked. And contrary to general belief, the waiter was friendly and polite.

The name of the cafe is Gerstner K. U. K. Hofzuckerbäcker.

Cafe Gerstner K. U. K. Hofzuckerbäcker. in Vienna. Picture by the author (Levi Borba)

Seeing how the Austrians of the 18th and 19th centuries managed to create beauty in even the most ordinary places, I can understand the effusiveness of one of my favorite composers, the Viennese Johann Strauss II.

Every step I walked felt like a note from the Blue Danube, every corner I turned, it was like a section from the Frühlingsstimmen. Perfection.

Statue of Strauss in Vienna, one of the two most beautiful capital cities in Europe — Monument of Johann Strauss II in Vienna’s Stadtpark. Picture by the author (Levi Borba)

If you enjoyed this article about the most beautiful capital cities in Europe, here are a few other travel tips and reading suggestions for you:

The 7 Countries With The Worst Work-Life Balance in The OECD

The Best Cities for Remote Workers in 2023

The Mind-Blowing Tourist Scams You Can Find in Europe

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25 Countries That Offer Retirement Visas in 2023

From Austria to Uruguay, retirees who want to live abroad may look for countries with retirement visas

One of my colleagues, still in his early 40s, asked about my opinion on the idea of retirement abroad in some tropical English speaking countries with retirement visas (the name of the place you will discover in a few paragraphs).

Many of us work and live in countries with high costs of living, but when we retire, it is quite foolish to keep paying high bucks for an average meal at a so-so restaurant or burn through your pension with medical expenses at overpriced clinics.

Here is the thing: you don’t need to.

There are some countries that offer pensioners very user-friendly visa programs. In many of them, your retirement or rental income will pay reduced taxes. In a few of them, a retirement or golden visa program may even offer tax exemption (and I still didn’t mention other benefits like mild weather and sandy beaches).

In this list, researched by our team at The Expatriate Consultancy, we present to you more than two dozen countries that either offer retirement visa programs or some sort of passive income visas. These nations want to attract residents who will spend their out-of-country earnings in their local economies, so for this reason they are seeking expat retirees.

With no further ado, let’s start with Europe, and then go across all other continents.

European countries with retirement visas

Below we list the European countries with either a specific retirement visa program or an analogous program that fits pensioners (this is the case of programs for financially independent persons, for example).

While for each country we mention the minimum requirements in terms of income and age, each country may (and likely has) extra requirements, which you can check by clicking on some of the links provided.

Austria

Program: Residence permit for financially independent person

Before entering on the subject of the requirements for this program of the Austrian government aimed at retirees, pensioners, and investors, it is important to keep one thing in mind: the immigration authorities of the country allocate barely 500 quotas of this type of visa per year.

So even foreign retirees that may attend all requirements, still may not be able to obtain this visa if all the visa grants for that year are already issued.

Minimum Income Required: €2,944 per couple of disposable income (meaning the income available after rent/mortgage, medical expenses, etc).

Minimum Age Required: No age requirements.

Bulgaria

Program: Type D VISA + Residence for Pensioners

Bulgaria is one of the cheapest countries in the European Union (many consider it the cheapest one, although Romania has similar prices). Currently, it is facing one of the worst population declines in the world, so it is quite welcoming for immigrants that can bring money to their economy.

It is a country of diverse landscapes, stretching from the sandy beaches of the region around Burgas to the mountains and ski resorts around Bansko, passing through numerous wineries and ancient ruins.

It is also very well connected to the rest of Europe, making it a favorite destination of British pensioners and remote workers, who often purchase real estate in touristic hotspots.

To obtain a retirement visa in Bulgaria, first you must obtain a Type D visa.

Minimum Income Required: A monthly income at least equal to or higher than the Bulgarian Minimum Salary (780 BGN, or approximately US$435 per month).

Minimum Age Required: There is no age requirement, but you must be already retired in your home country.

Greece

Program: Residence permit for financially independent persons (FIP)

A country famous for its idyllic scenes and healthy gastronomical options, Greece has been a favorite destination for affluent Europeans looking for a place to escape the harsh winter temperatures.

But it is not exclusive to the very rich. The Greek government has relatively affordable monthly income requirements for anyone willing to retire in the country.

After 7 years of residing in Greece permanently, an individual can apply for Greek citizenship after having spent at least 183 days each year in Greece.

Minimum Income Required: €2000 for 1 person or €2400 for a couple, per month.

Minimum Age Required: 18 years old.

Italy

Program: The Elective Residence Visa in Italy

Italy has one of the best healthcare systems in the world, remarkably low crime rates, a pleasant Mediterranean climate in most of the country, a relatively easy-to-learn language, and a cost of living far lower (on average) than countries like the US or the UK.

With so many qualities, it is no surprise that almost 30 thousand Americans chose Italy as their retirement destination. It is such a popular destination that we have an entire article with the pros, cons, and best places to retire in Italy.

Minimum Income Required: €31,000 of annual income for one person or €38,000 for a couple.

Minimum Age Required: Not required.

Latvia

Latvia is a bit off the radar when we talk about retirement destinations. However, the low cost of living and the good air and land connectivity to the rest of Europe are some of the attractions of this small Baltic nation.

Like the other countries in the region, Latvia has experienced an economic boom in the last few decades and is quickly catching up to the rest of Europe in terms of development.

Minimum Income Required: Currently, it is €784 of monthly income. If you want to bring family, it is €500 extra per additional adult (e.g., spouse), as well as €150 for an additional minor. So a couple would need to attest that they have a monthly income of €1284.

Minimum Age Required: The same as the retirement age in Latvia, which is 64 years and 3 months in 2023.

Malta

The Malta’s Global Residence Program

The Maltese capital, Valletta, is considered the best place to retire in Europe as an American. This is due to the fact that a large portion of the residents speaks good English due to the tourist appeal of the place.

While the cost of living on this island is relatively high (especially in summer months when tourists fly to the island), the pleasant weather, large expatriate community, and connectivity by air to the rest of Europe make it an attractive destination. Mellieha, on the north tip of the island, is one of the best beach destinations in Europe.

Malta is also one of the best places to visit in Europe in June.

Minimum Income Required: You must rent a property with a rental cost of at least €9,600 per year.

Minimum Age Requirement: 65 years old.

Portugal

The Portuguese D7 Visa Program

Portugal’s D7 visa program is also known as the passive income visa. It is not only attractive to pensioners and retired expatriates but also to remote workers (one of the reasons that Lisbon became a hotspot for digital nomads).

Besides the good weather and laidback lifestyle, Portugal is one of the cheapest countries in Europe to fly to and from America, making it an attractive destination for US expats.

The Portuguese D7 visa is a type of temporary residence visa that can be extended for longer periods of time. You can check more about it on this page of the Portuguese government.

Minimum Income Required: Above €705 per month.

Minimum Age Required: 18 years old.

Spain

Spain Non-lucrative visa

The Spanish government has a non-lucrative visa program for those wanting to live in Spain while not performing any professional activity (you are not allowed to work with this type of visa).

Two of the best cities to retire in Europe are located in Spain, including the first (Valencia). Additionally, Madrid is one of the safest capitals in Europe.

Minimum Income Required: In 2023, the income requirement increased to €28,800 of annual income for one person and €7,200 for each dependent.

Minimum Age Required: There are no age requirements.

Take a look at our special article about the best cities for retirement in Spain.

Asian countries that offer Retirement Visa Programs

Indonesia

Program: Visa Application for Elderly or Retired Travelers

While Indonesia is a large country with around 6,000 inhabited islands and more than 270 million residents, when we talk about retiring there, we are almost always talking about Bali.

Bali is such a hot destination (in all senses) for remote workers, digital nomads, and expatriates looking for a retirement visa that we wrote an entire article about retiring in Bali. The low cost of living is by far the biggest advantage of this island, but not the only one.

Minimum Income Required: $1500 dollars per month and a rental contract or property purchase above a certain value threshold.

Minimum Age Required: 55 years.

Malaysia

Program: Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H)

Before entering into the details of the MM2H visa program from the Malay government, it is essential to remember that Malaysia is a federation, and some regions have their own immigration policies. Some of the rules of the MM2H visa program apply only to west Malaysia and Sabah regions.

One of the best benefits of retirement in Malaysia is the tax exemption on foreign income. There is also the added benefit that the residency permit through the MM2H is valid for 5 years, so you don’t need to renew it every year, as is often the case with retirement visas in other countries.

Minimum Income Required: Approximately $9285 of monthly passive income. There are also requirements for minimum assets.

Minimum Age Required: Above 35 years old.

Thailand

Program: Non-Immigrant O-A

Thailand competes with Bali in terms of being the most attractive destination in Southeast Asia for expatriates living on passive income. Like the Indonesian Island, Thailand also has a significantly lower cost of living when compared to the US or Western Europe.

But differently than Bali, which is just part of a larger country with very different rules, pretty much the entire Thailand is quite welcoming to pensioners, remote workers, and digital nomads.

Minimum Income Required: Above 65,000 THB (approximately $2000) of monthly income.

Minimum Age Requirement: 50 years old.

The Philippines

Program: Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV)

The Philippines is a country often on the radar of American expatriates due to the large share of the population fluent in the English language.

On top of that, expatriate pensioners that retire in this country will enjoy a very low cost of living and a program (SRRV) that gives a permanent residence permit to anyone fulfilling all the requirements.

Minimum Income Required: There are many categories of SRRV. Some of them demand a monthly income of US$1500, while others have different requirements.

Minimum Age Requirement: 50 years old.

The United Arab Emirates

One of the most attractive features of the U.A.E. (as well as of a few other countries in the region) is the absence of income taxes. In fact, until 2018, there were no taxes for individuals at all in the country, until a value-added tax (VAT) of 5% was introduced. For comparison, the same tax in most European countries is above 20%.

There are other pros to living in the United Arab Emirates, like the fantastic connectivity to the whole world via airlines like Emirates and Etihad.

Some of the biggest negative points are the quite different culture when compared to western countries (although the U.A.E. is way more westernized than its neighbors Saudi Arabia and Qatar), the excruciatingly hot temperatures during summer, and the expensive real estate (especially after the influx of Russian investors looking for a safe haven for their money).

Minimum Income Required

The wealth requirements to retire in the U.A.E. are (1 AED, which is around 27 cents of the US dollar:

To purchase a property/properties for no less than AED 1 million
Have financial savings above AED 1 million or an income of at least AED 20,000 (15,000 for Dubai) per month.

Minimum Age Requirement: 55 years old.

Latin American countries with Retirement Visa Programs

Argentina

The Argentina Rentista Visa Program

Less than fifteen years ago, the Argentinian visa program for rentistas y pensionados had one of the strictest requirements in the world in terms of minimum income.

But since then, the Argentinian peso has suffered one of the most drastic devaluations in recent history, and now it requires less than 200 dollars per month. The country has its challenges but also pros, and we prepared an entire article to cover Argentina as a retirement destination.

Minimum Income Required: 30.000 Argentinian Pesos (source: Argentinian government), which means a monthly income of 164 dollars.

Minimum Age Required: There is no age requirement.

Belize

The Qualified Retirement Program (QRP)

Belize is a small country in Central America that has a very peculiar characteristic: it is the only country in the region colonized by the British and therefore the only one with English as its official language.

But the absence of language barriers is not the only advantage they offer. There is also the tremendously low cost of living when compared to the US and tax exemption (on income from overseas) for any retiree that lives in Belize more than 183 days per year are other benefits that this country offers.

The government of Belize and the Belize tourism board also created a user friendly retirement visa scheme to facilitate eligible persons willing to obtain residency. It is important to mention that citizens of certain nationalities are not eligible for this visa.

Minimum Income Required: At least 2,000 US dollars per month, or 24,000 per year (or equivalent in a foreign currency approved by the government of Belize), generated from a source outside the country.

Minimum Age Required: 45 years.

Brazil

The VITEM XIV

Brazil has a myriad of migrant visa and temporary visa (Visto Temporário) types. Authorities named each one of them VITEM (the first syllables of Visto Temporário) and the corresponding number (I, II, III, IV, etc).

The one that is useful for anyone willing to retire in Brazil is the VITEM XIV. It is the same visa used by digital nomads.

Brazil is a huge country, with safe and dangerous areas, and a complicated tax system. Temporary residents do not need to pay taxes on their income from overseas, but if they obtain a tax residency with a permanent residency, they are taxed. It is extremely recommended that you hire a local lawyer to solve all the legal intricacies if you are planning to move to Brazil.

Under the tax law of Brazil, a person is a tax resident if they meet 1 of these criteria:

1: He/she has a permanent visa or is a Brazilian citizen, or

2: He/she is in Brazil for more than 183 days in a year.

Minimum Income Required: A monthly income of at least US$ 1,500 or bank statements showing at least US$ 18,000 available in the account. Other requirements are here.

Minimum Age Required: There are no age requirements.

Colombia

Special Temporary Pensioner’s Visa

Colombia has a very low cost of living, even when we compare it to other South American countries like Chile or Brazil.

Put this advantage together with a diverse landscape with multiple climates (from warm beaches to mild temperatures in the mountains), a decent and inexpensive private healthcare system, and good connectivity with the US and Europe via airlines like Avianca and Iberia, and you will understand why more and more people are choosing this country for retirement.

There are, however, some cons, and among them, we can mention serious safety issues.

To attract retirees looking for a foreign country to move to, the government developed a retirement program called the Special Temporary Pensioner’s Visa.

Minimum Income Required: The applicant must prove that he/she receives a pension equivalent to at least three times the minimum salary in Colombia.

Minimum Age Required: There are no age requirements.

Costa Rica

Costa Rican Temporary Residency Visas (Pensionado and Rentista)

PS: Check out also El Salvador, once a violent country that became a favorite for pensioners.

Costa Rica is often listed with Panama as an exception among the Central American countries due to their decent standards of living, good safety indicators, and infrastructure. It’s no surprise that both countries are also favorites of American retirees.

In fact, there are already large American expat populations both in Panama and Costa Rica since they are not far away and have a relatively low cost of living.

The local government, willing to lead among the favorite destinations in Latin America for pensioners, established the Pensionado Visa.

Minimum Income Required: The applicant must have a monthly income of at least US$1000.

Minimum Age Required: The are no age requirements.

The Dominican Republic

Dominican Pensionado Vis

The Dominican Republic is the relatively developed part of Hispaniola Island (the other is Haiti). It is an increasingly popular destination for foreign retirees, and the low requirements are one of the perks for anyone considering this popular Caribbean island. There are, however, considerations regarding safety in some parts. We wrote an entire article about retirement in the Dominican Republic.

Minimum Income Required: $1,500 a month from a foreign government or private pension ($1,750 for couples).

Mexico

Mexican Residency Visa Programs (Temporary Residency, and Permanent Residency Program For Retirees)

It is not only the proximity that makes Mexico a favorite destination of American retirees looking for countries with retirement visas, although this is a very important factor, since it makes it easier for retirees to travel back and forth to visit friends and family.

Other significant advantages of Mexico are the low cost of living, the good private healthcare available (at prices way lower than in the US), and one of the least complex retirement visas in Latin America.

It is true that there are many violent cities in Mexico, but choosing carefully, it is also possible to find multiple peaceful and enjoyable places.

To apply for a retirement visa in Mexico, all you need is a passport with at least 6 months of validity, gather the required personal documents, prove a certain income (more about it below), and pay the consular fees.

Minimum Income Required: US$1400 of monthly income.

Minimum Age Required: There are no age requirements.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua Pensionado Visa

While not receiving the same amount of media attention as Costa Rica and Panama, Nicaragua recently experienced a surge in the number of American retirees looking for a retirement visa.

There are some fine tax advantages, and they are really attractive if you are looking to purchase a nice property. Due to the increasing interest of our readers, we wrote an entire article with what you need to know to retire in Nicaragua.

Minimum Income Required: US$1000 per month. Other requirements you can find here.

Panama

Panama Residency Visa Programs (Friendly Nations, Retirement and Investment Based)

Together with Costa Rica (see more about it above), this is one of the most attractive countries with retirement visas in Latin America.

That explains why of our most successful articles to date is about retirement in Panama, a low-tax gem in South America.

Like a few other countries in the region, they also have a retiree specific pensionado visa, facilitating the way to obtain residency status as long as you receive monthly income from overseas.

Minimum Income Required: US$1000 per month or a deposit of $170,000 for a five-year fixed term in a local bank account.

Peru

The Rentista Visa

Peru is an attractive destination for retirement thanks to the affordable cost of living allowing people looking to stretch their retirement savings.

Peru is one of the least expensive countries in South America, despite having a quality of life and HDI superior to places like Colombia or Brazil.

According to Numbeo, the cost of living in Lima, Peru’s capital city, is 54% lower than in New York City. Housing costs are particularly affordable, with a one-bedroom apartment in Lima costing around $370 per month.

Minimum Income Required: You must prove a stable passive income (from rental properties for example), or a pension from abroad of at least US$1000 per month.

Uruguay

The Uruguayan Permanent Residency Visa Program

Montevideo may be the closest to a capital city of an European country, without the European prices. The country where this city is located is also one of the safest and most stable in all of South America.

The property market in the region is also attractive, something that Argentinians and Brazilians looking for a safer place for their investment has already realized.

There are some disadvantages, however. One is that due to its small population, there is a lack of long-haul, international flights departing from the country, so to travel back and forth to America and Europe, one must deal with higher fares and connections.

Minimum Income Required: at least US$1500 of overseas income per month or a minimum sum of US$100,000 to be deposited in the Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay for a period of at least ten years.

Is it necessary to translate official documents when living abroad?

Living abroad will often require dealing with various bureaucratic processes. Some countries will accept English documents. However, others will need you to translate your official documents and retirement visa. So be sure to do your research ahead to know what documents you will need and if you need to translator or now.

And even if you know the language of the country where you plan to live, it is not advisable to translate your official documents because it might not be accurate, and government institutions will only accept translated documents from certified and accredited professionals.

So you might want to consider working with an ISO-certified translation company because it means that the translated documents are accepted by institutions worldwide, both public and private. Look for companies that offer a certificate of translation accuracy as it proves the translations meet international standards because sometimes government officials will ask for it.

If you enjoyed this article about countries with retirement visas, here are a few other reading suggestions for you:

Our World Guide of Best Places to Expatriate

The Best Cities for Remote Workers This Year

The Easiest Countries to Adopt From – A Guide.

The main reason to retire in Puerto Rico might be a word with only 3 letters

Subscribe (for free) to receive my articles directly in your inbox and receive a special gift. If you enjoy this article, please consider becoming a Medium member by using this link and have access to premium, unbiased content from authors not tied to big media.

Levi Borba is the founder of The Expatriate Consultancy, creator of the channel The Expat, and best-selling author. Some of the links of this article may be affiliate links, meaning that the author will have a commission for any transaction.

Best Countries Ranking

The 7 Countries With the Worst Work Life Balance…

There are some shocking data about the countries with the worst work-life balance.

When I was still working in the financial area, it was not uncommon to work 13, sometimes 14 hours per day. Since most of our income was variable, staying at the office for long hours was standard practice for young, ambitious college graduates willing to build their bank accounts.

Unfortunately, it became common for many of my coworkers to lose their hair, gain weight, and get sick with things like high blood pressure and diabetes. I won’t even talk about the constant bad mood of an overworked professional.

Working long hours for a short period is probably doable and has only minor health impacts. But in the long term, the effects may be sinister (unless you really enjoy your job).

Recently, I came across the OECD ranking of work-life balance, involving dozens of countries all over the world.

As someone who has worked on four continents and visited over 50 countries, I couldn’t agree more with the results.

Some of the countries mentioned are pretty obvious (as you may guess, South Korea is among them), but others are quite surprising.

Before we get into the ranking, let’s go over the context and the criteria that were used.

Ps: check also our Youtube channel The Expat.

What is the OECD

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a group of 38 countries, mostly western, that work together to improve their economies. People often call it a think tank group (and is also a very well-established source of economic and social statistics).

It says that its goal is to change policies in ways that increase opportunity, prosperity, and well-being. It has worked on a wide range of issues over the years, such as raising the standard of living in its member countries, helping international trade grow, and working for economic stability.

The OECD was founded in 1961 and has its headquarters in the Chateau de la Muette, in Paris, France.

Moving Out, Working Abroad and Keeping Your Sanity: 11 secrets to make your expat life better than you imagine

The indicators used to define the countries with the worst work life balance

While multiple rankings are based on subjective perceptions and anecdotal evidence, the OECD took the time to establish two objective criteria to measure the work-life balance between multiple countries.

Time devoted to leisure and personal care

This indicator shows the average number of hours spent each day on activities like sleeping, eating, socializing with friends and family, hobbies, working out, etc.

Employees working very long hours

This criterion shows the percentage of workers who worked an average of 50 hours or more per week in the most recent year for which data is available.

Check also: The Weird Relationship Between Libraries and Rising Development Levels

The 7 Worst Countries (of the OECD) in Terms of Work Life Balance

Australia

Time devoted to leisure and personal care: 14.4 hours, which is below the average of 15 hours per day of all OECD members.

Employees working very long hours: 12.5%, which is above the average (10%) of all OECD members.

One of the worst problems in Australia is the number of people that simply do not use their leave days.

According to the international consulting firm Michael Page, Australians have, on average, 16 days of holiday they don’t use. More research showed that 2.4 million Australians who work full-time haven’t taken a vacation in over a year and that 86% of them are feeling burned out as a result.

Israel

Time devoted to leisure and personal care: 14.3 hours, meaning less than the average of 15 hours per day of all OECD members.

Employees working very long hours: 14.1%, which is above the average (10%) of all OECD members.

According to a survey published by the Times of Israel, most Israeli workers are unhappy with the balance between work and life, and a lot of them work while they are sick.

The survey, which comprised around 600 employees over the age of 18, found that 57 percent of Israelis are unhappy with their current work-life balance. A similar number of respondents also said that their employers are not flexible enough to let them work from home.

South Korea

Time devoted to leisure and personal care: 14.8 hours, slightly less than the average of 15 hours per day of all OECD members.

Employees working very long hours: 19.7%, almost twice the average (10%) of all OECD members.

Long work hours aren’t the only thing that makes it hard to balance work and life in South Korea. Because of long commutes and the “socializing after work” culture, people often don’t have much time for their families, friends, or even sleeping.

The horrible work-life balance likely contributes for South Korea to experience one of the worst fertility declines in the world.

Curiously, South Korea is one of the best countries in the world for education.

South Africa

Time devoted to leisure and personal care: 14.2 hours, which is almost one hour less than the average of 15 hours per day of all OECD members.

Employees working very long hours: 15.4%, more than 1.5X the average (10%) of all OECD members.

One of the problems in South Africa is that the low productivity of the workforce often causes employees to work longer hours to achieve the same output — something that Botswana managed to partially solve.

South Africa’s rate of productivity growth is the lowest among emerging economies, and together with Brazil and Argentina are the only countries with negative rates.

The low productivity in South Africa is caused by a lack of skills, high business costs, and a lack of competition in many markets. The skills of students are below the OECD average, and the education system is very unequal, with a small number of students doing very well and a large number doing very badly.

Check also: Why This Country in Africa Is Growing So Fast?

Japan

Time devoted to leisure and personal care: 14.1 hours, almost one hour less than the average of 15 hours per day of all OECD members.

Employees working very long hours: 15.7%, more than 1.5X the average (10%) of all OECD members.

It is not a surprise to see Japan in this ranking, since they popularized the idea of working long hours. There is even a word in the Japanese language (karoshi) that means “death from overwork”.

But in the last few years, the country has been pushing for better work-life balance.

One of Shinzo Abe’s (the late Prime Minister) main concerns was Japan’s overworking trend. The Work Style Reform Bill was signed into law by his government.

The bill was a key part of his plan to make Japan’s work and life balance more equilibrated. Initiatives include putting limits on how long people can work and giving them more flexibility, as well as requiring people with at least 10 days of unused leave to choose at least five days off.

Check also our article about the Japanese Visa Application Guide for digital nomads and remote workers.

Turkey

Time devoted to leisure and personal care: 14.6 hours, which is less than the average of 15 hours per day of all OECD members.

Employees working very long hours: 25%, meaning 2.5X the average (10%) of all OECD members.

Turkey has a relatively long work week: 45 hours. There is also a propensity in some sectors to push extra hours. Put on top of that the fact that major cities like Istambul have considerable traffic jams during rush hours, and you have a recipe for an unbalanced life.

One may wonder if such an unbalanced work-life relationship may harm the activity of health professionals in Turkey since the country is a hotspot for medical tourism and things like gastric sleeve surgery abroad.

Mexico

Time devoted to leisure and personal care: 13.5 hours, meaning one and a half hours less than the average of 15 hours per day of all OECD members.

Employees working very long hours: 27%, almost three times the average (10%) of all OECD members.

The worst country in this ranking has a whopping 27% of all employees working very long hours, and only 13.5 hours per day on average for all things non-job related.

Mexico has some of the longest average annual hours of work (2137 hours), and its average lunch breaks are also some of the shortest in the world, at only 30 minutes. Put that together with the endemic violence on the Mexican streets and it is a recipe for a stressful day.

Somehow, the South Park music about Mexicans working all week long sounds true.

Check also: Hold Your Breath: The Dirtiest Cities in the World — 2022

Conclusion: The Countries With Worst Work-Life Balance

One curious fact is that there are no European countries among the 7 worst countries for work-life balance, despite the fact that 26 of the 38 countries of the OECD are European.

In other words, of the 12 non-European countries that are part of the organization, more than half (7) are at the bottom in terms of work-life balance.

Here is the list of the worst 7:

7 — Australia

6 — Israel

5 — South Korea

4 — South Africa

3 — Japan

2 — Turkey

1 — Mexico

If you enjoyed this article about the countries with the worst work life balance, here are a few other reading suggestions for you:

A Guide to the Easiest Countries to Adopt a Baby From

The Most Beautiful European Capitals

Levi Borba is the founder of The Expatriate Consultancy, and best-selling author. Some of the links of this article may be affiliate links, meaning that the author will have a commission for any transaction.

Best Countries Ranking

The Easiest Countries to Adopt From – A Guide.

The Easiest Country to Adopt from Is Closer than You Imagine

(To save you time: the list of the easiest countries to adopt from starts in the middle of the article, but before that, there are some important considerations).

My mother had adoptive parents. Although later on in her life she met her biological parents — almost by accident — the real ones for her were always the adoptive ones.

She always talked about them on a very positive note, and I bet she loved her adoptive parents more than many biological kids love theirs. Every time she recalls some moment with them, I feel in her words the enhanced gratitude she has since they chose to raise her.

Adoption, on the other hand, is not a simple decision that should be made hastily.

Once I read that there is ONE question a person should make before

I will also share with you some personal stories I have heard or read about. Some of them are positive, others are not, but all of them are real.

Check also some of the other rankings we compiled:

Why Would Someone Refuse to Adopt From Their Own Country?

First of all, “refuse” here may not be the proper verb. There are three major reasons for someone not to adopt within their own country.

1st: In other countries (like mine), there are many more prospective parents seeking to adopt a child than there are children for adoption. With high competition, unless you are a wealthy couple married for years, your chances of having an adoptive child are meager.

2nd: In other countries, bizarre laws can cause traumatic experiences. For example, in Brazil, there were cases where biological parents, years after abandoning the child and when they were already adopted and living with a new family, went to court to recover custody. And they won.

3rd: Due to immense bureaucracy, adoption in some countries takes years and is nearly impossible.

Countries That Allow International Adoption (And Those Who Don’t)

Not every country will allow foreigners to adopt kids.

What countries do NOT ALLOW international adoption

Here is a list of some countries that don’t let people from other countries adopt children.

Argentina
Benin
Bhutan
Burma (Myanmar)
Cabo Verde (Cape Verde)
Comoros
Ethiopia
Grenada
Iran
Iraq
Kenya
Kuwait
Laos
Maldives
Mozambique
Paraguay
Saudi Arabia
Swaziland
Tajikistan
Tanzania

Be aware that in some cases, YOUR country may prohibit international adoptions from certain blacklisted countries. For example, Canada has stopped allowing its citizens to adopt children from Nepal, Liberia, Georgia, Guatemala, and, temporarily, Ukraine.

Nearly all other countries not listed above allow international adoptions, but some of them have extremely restrictive criteria. But not those listed in this ranking of the easiest countries to adopt from.

With no further ado, let’s talk about the criteria for this list.

Criteria to Define the Easiest Countries to Adopt a Baby From

Is the country a signatory of the Hague Adoption Convention?

The Hague Adoption Convention is a transnational agreement about international adoption. Its goal is to protect those involved from the corruption, child trafficking, and exploitation that can sometimes go along with international adoption. The agreement is important because it establishes formal international acceptance of intercountry adoptions to make sure the process will normally be recognized in other countries.

That is the reason you will not see in this list popular names like Ethiopia, since the country is not a signatory of the convention.

Is it possible to adopt a child from this country to the United States or Europe?
Average Adoption Cost (according to consideringadoption.com, unless stated otherwise).
Is there a minimum age requirement to adopt a child? If so, what is a child’s minimum legal age for adoption?
What are the requirements for adoptive parents?

The Easiest Countries to Adopt a Baby From

(They are not necessarily in order, but all of them meet the above-mentioned criteria.)

Colombia – The Easiest Country to Adopt From Latin-America

Colombia — One of the easiest countries to adopt from. Image customized by the author.

Is the country a signatory of the Hague Adoption Convention?

Yes

Is it possible to adopt a child from this country to the United States or Europe?

Yes

Average Adoption Cost:

The cost of a typical adoption process for a child from Colombia is around $35,470. This does not include airline tickets to and from Colombia, hotel accommodations, etc. Be warned that travel advisories have been confirmed by the US State Department due to criminal activity and terrorism connected to narcotics.

Is there a minimum age requirement for the adoptive child?

Children eligible for international adoption are at least 6 months old.

What are the main requirements for adoptive parents?

Single women or married couples are allowed.
For couples to adopt together, the country demands a minimum of two years of marriage.
Positive net worth and an annual income of at least $10,000 per family member, including the adopted child.
There can be no more than two misdemeanors in a person’s lifetime and no history of felonies.
Applicants who have or have had a life-threatening or contagious disease or other condition that affects their ability to parent and/or the quality of life of a child are not allowed to adopt.

Thailand

Is the country a signatory of the Hague Adoption Convention?

Yes

Is it possible to adopt a child from this country to the United States or Europe?

Yes

Average Adoption Cost:

According to ThaiEmbassy, agencies give a wide range of prices for, but most of them are between $10,000 and $18,000. But don’t be too excited about the low price: it doesn’t include travel costs or fees for visa processing.

Costs to stay a few months during the process in Thailand, however, are not expensive (in fact, costs are very low, and that is why many remote workers choose to live in Thailand).

Is there a minimum age requirement for the adoptive child?

Babies are available from 10 months old, nevertheless, most of them are around 2 years old.

What are the main requirements for adoptive parents?

Candidates must be at least 25 years old.
Candidates who are single or have been married for at least two years to a heterosexual partner.
Before they can adopt a child in Thailand, parents must show proof that they have a stable income.

China – The Easiest Country to Adopt In Far-East Asia

China — One of the easiest countries to adopt from

Is the country a signatory of the Hague Adoption Convention?

Yes

Is it possible to adopt a child from this country to the United States or Europe?

Yes

Average Adoption Cost:

According to ConsideringAdoption, here is a breakdown of the costs:

Agency Application: $1,000-$2,500
Home Study: $1,000-$3,000
Program Fees: $8,000-$12,000
Travel Costs: $7,000-$14,000
Documentation: $1,000-$3,000
U.S. Entry Visa Application: $300-$500
Post-Placement Fees: $500-$1,000
Orphanage Donation (required in China): $5,000-$6,000
I-800 Visa Application: $500-$1,000
Third-Party Fees: $2,000-$3,000

Is there a minimum age requirement for the adoptive child?

What are the main requirements for adoptive parents?

The minimum age for candidates is 30.
Neither parent should be more than 50 years older than the child they are adopting. You cannot be more than 45 years older than the adopted child if you are a single parent.
Married couples must have no more than five children, none of whom are younger than a year old. Single parents may have no more than three children in their home, none of whom must be under the age of six.
Married couples must be married for a minimum of two years, and remarried couples must be married for a minimum of five years. A maximum of two divorces are permitted.
Married couples must have a minimum net worth of $80,000 and earn $10,000 per child in the home, including the prospective adopted child. The requirements may be more stringent for single parents.
Anyone considering adoption must be in good health.

With the worsening economical situation in China, there is a chance the number of kids put for adoption will increase in the next years.

Haiti

Is the country a signatory of the Hague Adoption Convention?

Yes

Is it possible to adopt a child from this country to the United States or Europe?

Yes

Average Adoption Cost:

Depending on the specifics of your adoption process, the total cost could range anywhere from $25,000 to $40,000, including travel expenses.

Is there a minimum age requirement for the adoptive child?

Adoptable children must be at least three months old and no older than sixteen years old; if they are older than 12 years old, they must express their consent to the adoption.

What are the main requirements for adoptive parents?

If you are going to adopt as a couple, at least one of you must be 30 or older. If you’re a single parent, you must be least 35 years old to adopt.
Candidates above the age of 50 are not allowed.
Heterosexual couples (married and unmarried) are ok. You must show proof of at least 5 years of marriage or co-residence.
Candidates must provide proof of employment and a stable income. There are no explicit guidelines for how much money a family must earn.

India

Is the country a signatory of the Hague Adoption Convention?

Yes

Is it possible to adopt a child from this country to the United States or Europe?

Yes

Average Adoption Cost:

It ranges from $30,000 to $40,000, including travel costs.

Is there a minimum age requirement for the adoptive child?

There is no minimum age for adoptive children.

What are the main requirements for adoptive parents?

Candidates must be at least 25 years old and no more than 45 if adopting a child under the age of four. If the kid is between the ages of four and eight, both candidates must be at least 29 and no older than 50. If the kid is over the age of eight, the candidates must be at least 33 and no older than 55.
Adoption can be done by married couples or single women.
Couples (only heterosexuals) must be married for at least two years.
Candidates must have no more than four children.

The easiest country to adopt from in 2023 — Bulgaria

Bulgaria — The easiest country to adopt from.

Is the country a signatory of the Hague Adoption Convention?

Yes

Is it possible to adopt a child from this country to the United States or Europe?

Yes

Average Adoption Cost:

A Bulgarian adoption will generally cost you around $40,000. The $30,500 in costs can be directly linked to the procedure. The rest includes air travel and hotel accommodations abroad.

Is there a minimum age requirement for the adoptive child?

A child older than 12 months can be adopted by parents between the ages of 23 and 49. Parents between the ages of 50 and 55 can adopt a child who is at least 5 years old.

What are the main requirements for adoptive parents?

Candidates must be at least 15 years older than the child they intend to adopt.
Candidates can be either a heterosexual married couple or a single parent.
Before a kid can be adopted, parents must spend at least 5 days with them in Bulgaria.

The Fastest Adoption Process for US Citizens

If you are purely interested in a (relatively) speedy process and have no issues with a child that is older (the average child there is 6.5 years old), you can always look into the US Foster Care system. Currently, there are over 400,000 kids in the US foster care system.

It is possible to finish the adoption process for a child who is in foster care in less than a year. If you adopt within your own state, there are no expenses and you do not need to travel for the process.

International Adoption Questions

These are some of the most common questions candidates to become adoptive parents hear during the “interviews” along the way.

How old are you?
How healthy are you and what is your BMI?
Are you married, and for how long? Have you been divorced?
How much money do you make, and how long have you been working in a stable, long-term job?
Is there a stay-at-home parent available to care for the child?
Do you have multiple children at home already?
What are their sexes and ages?

Remember that these are some questions, but not all of them. Also, there is a good chance that US homeland security will ask more questions (the feared “red sheet”) when the adopted child is brought to the US.

A Couple of Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Adopting

Why do you want to create a family through adoption?

Are you prepared to become a parent to a kid that does not have the same genetic makeup as you do?

Parenting takes a lot of selfless love because it often means putting your own needs aside for someone else’s, and the results aren’t always clear right away.

As soon as you are able to respond to those questions in a manner that is honest to yourself, it is a good idea to speak with a credible adoption center, either in your local region or in any of the countries that were listed earlier.

There are a great number of youngsters in need of parents who are caring and committed all around the world. By adopting them, you can save them from violence or extremely harsh conditions to live in.

Also, there are a lot of scams out there, so watch out.

Personal Stories of International Adoption

During the research for this article about the easiest countries to adopt from, I came across some interesting stories of international adoption. Two of them are below.

Sarah (fictional name) adopted a child from Uganda.

I have several friends who have adopted abroad, and the process was extremely smooth and extremely short compared to friends who have adopted from Uganda, like we did. There were eight countries that we could not even qualify for based on our family size or our inability to live in a foreign country for 3–6 months.

Robert (fictional name) adopted two kids from Russia years ago.

I adopted two children from Russia. One was 20 months old, and the other was about 4 years old. This is my qualification to speak on the subject. Sadly, Russia no longer adopts children from the US because we sanctioned them.

The fact of the matter is that it is easier to fly all the way around the world two times, like an astronaut, to get a child in Russia than it is to adopt a child in the US State of Washington (and presumably other U.S. states).

Be Aware of Physiologic or Genetic Traits That Are Challenging in Some Places

This is the last tip, and maybe somehow polemic for this article about the easiest countries to adopt from.

It is understandable that many people would enjoy having a kid from a different part of the globe join their family.

But people in some areas have developed certain traits over thousands or even millions of years, and the only reason for this was to help them fit in with the natural environment there.

I give my own example: I am an olive-skinned South American living in a cold part of Europe.

Summers here are relatively short, and winters are long and dark. Very dark. The locals are white, so their skin is optimized to absorb the most sunlight to create Vitamin D, essential for good health.

My skin, however, gets tanned VERY quickly, and for a very long time. I went to the beach for a few days in early September, and almost 2 months later, I am still tanned.

While this is a good device my body has to protect me from skin cancer — a danger in my home country, Brazil, it also reduces the amount of Vitamin D I absorb from sunlight.

That is why, during my first years in Europe, I suffered from a severe deficiency of Vitamin D during the winter that made me sick and weak almost all the time, even affecting my fertility. The problem was only solved by taking supplements, which I must take at least 6 months per year as long as I live in Europe.

There is no escape from that. (In another article, I explain why Vitamin D supplementation is one of the 5 simple-but-crucial tips for moving to Europe).

This is just one example, quite anecdotal, but it exemplifies why it is important to consider physiological and genetic characteristics when adopting abroad.

If you enjoyed this article about the easiest countries to adopt from, here are a few other reading suggestions for you:

Due to Huge Economic Growth, Emigrants Are Back to This Country

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Levi Borba is the founder of The Expatriate Consultancy, creator of the channel The Expat, and best-selling author. Some of the links of this article may be affiliate links, meaning that the author will have a commission for any transaction.

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Retire in Bali, Indonesia: Pros, Cons, Costs and All…

A dream of many people is to retire in Bali, Indonesia, and it’s not that hard to do it.

Have you caught yourself wondering if it is a good idea to retire in Bali, the sun-kissed island between Indonesia and Australia? In this article, we will explain everything to you, and give some well-needed context.

Our consultancy’s team wrote this article after similar pieces about other hot retirement destinations, such as:

Our list of 24 countries offering retirement visas is a must-read if you are considering retiring abroad.

Is Bali a Good Place to Retire?

Yes, and that is proved by the enormous number of western expatriates that choose this island on the other side of the world to spend their time.

Be aware, however, of one thing: talking about retirement in Bali is completely different from talking about retirement in other parts of Indonesia, which is not one of the best countries in the world to retire in, although easily could figure among the best beach destinations in the world.

Bali is different from the rest of the country. It has a good infrastructure. differently than Indonesia or other countries with pollution problems.

For most people, retirement is the golden age of their lives. They can enjoy their time without compulsory schedules and, more often than not, get to do so with a growing nest egg, which gets bigger year after year thanks to the magic of compounding interest.

So why spend this time hearing the loud sirens of a large city and dealing with long traffic jams?

The good weather, relatively cheap cost of living, magnificent beaches, rich history, and strong traditions combine together to make living in Bali the archetypal tropical paradise for people wishing to move out of noisy, polluting, and crowded metropolitan zones.

Retire in Bali Pros and Cons

As nearly every area in the world, it has its pros and cons, and even some bureaucracy, albeit significantly less than many other destinations.

Pros of Living in Bali

The weather. Yes, it was obvious this was going to be the first point (although the others are not in order of importance) of the pros of retiring in Bali. While you might encounter some tropical rain and thunderstorms during the rainy season, overall the weather in Bali is lovely. Sunny and warm days year round, great for escaping those cold winter days back home. If you would prefer cold weather, check our article about retirement in Finland.
Healthy living. Bali is a paradise for those who love working out, yoga, and surfing. Bali’s healthy food is another reason why so many people visit. It has also plenty of western food options. Places like Canggu have healthy food stores and cafes with the best options; many dishes are so good you won’t even wish for fast-food anymore!
The people. Balinese people are friendly, welcoming, and willing to help. Expatriates often fall in love with Bali because of its friendly people, and you may feel the same way.
The large expat community. Bali is a popular destination for expats and digital nomads, making it easy to find people with similar interests. Join Facebook groups like Bali Expats Group. Before you arrive, connect with these groups.
Very low cost of living (when compared to America or Europe). Bali’s cost of living is lower than in North America, Europe, and Australia. Eating out, grocery shopping, activities, and specially rent are cheaper. The lower living costs are also one of the reasons a place like Argentina is attractive for retirement. We’ll explain how much is the cost of living in Bali in the sections below.
Coworking spaces (If you decide to make some extra money as a remote worker during your retirement). As the expat and remote-workers community grew, so did the number of coworking spaces and cafes with decent wifi, and great places to work while exploring the island. You’ll find these spaces in Canggu and Ubud, where many expatriates and digital nomads live.
Plenty of activities to do. Not only the great prices, healthy lifestyle, and kind people draw travelers to this island, but also the beautiful sights and activities. White and black sand beaches, rice fields, waterfalls, and a sunrise-climbable volcano. Due to the island size, every place is 3 to 4 hours away, no matter where you live.
Your family and friends will be glad to visit you. Who doesn’t love a sunny island with sandy beaches? Costs and expenses to fly so far aside, nobody will refuse to spend some time in Bali with you in your new home.
The Internet Connectivity is excellent. It is easy to understand why Bali attracts so many remote workers. The internet is lightning fast! It’s faster than in some developed countries like Australia and very reliable. And connectivity issues are quickly sorted out.

Locals from Bali, Indonesia. — The kind and friendly local population is one of the pros of living in Bali

Cons of Living in Bali

Public transportation. Bali’s public transport system is a big drawback. In Bali, scooters are the best method to move about fast. If you’re not comfortable driving a scooter in Bali, it could be difficult to get around.
Distance. It is far if you are from the American or European continent, like me. Flights can be expensive when you want to visit your family and friends. If you looking for a similar climate (and don’t mind the higher costs), check Honolulu or Jamaica.
Traffic (if you need to move from one city or town to another). Bali’s traffic might be too heavy for the narrow roads connecting numerous places. A distance of 30 kilometers between two takes 45 to 1 hour on a scooter, however, if you are moving by car you may easily double these times since nearly half the journey you will be detained in traffic, especially during rush hour and high season when the island is loaded with people.
Healthcare. Healthcare may be a concern in Bali. Many tourists suffer from what is known as “Bali belly.” Dengue fever and scooter accidents occur. Accidents occur frequently, and people die from not using a helmet or intoxicated driving. Pay for a good health and life insurance and see what’s covered. Bali hospitals won’t treat you without insurance (or money).
The process of obtaining a visa. You will read more about the retirement visa process below, but overall acquiring the visa and extending it may be rather time-consuming. If you’re moving to Bali, learn about visas and extensions. They aren’t that complex once you’re familiar with the process, although it may take some time to adjust.

Do They Speak English in Bali?

First of all, Bali has many expatriates, and nearly all of them speak good English.

Outside the expat community, most locals in Bali know a little bit of English. In particular, the younger urban generation speaks English. Head into the villages however and there’s a strong possibility you’ll have to depend on hand gestures to converse with the inhabitants.

And a curiosity: Indonesian is a simple language to learn. Although speaking Indonesian is not a need for living in Bali, I would still advise taking at least a week of courses. People will value the work you put in. More people will grin at you, and it creates the possibility of amusing conversations.

Retirement Visa Indonesia – Steps to Have a Visa to Retire in Bali

There are undoubtedly a lot of things about this tropical island that draws you in, whether it be the people, the beaches, the sunsets, the culture, or everything in between. It’s time to move on to the qualifications once you’ve verified that Bali does really provide everything you want.

What Are the Requirements to Retire in Bali?

Picture of Bali with the illustration of a visa — The visa application can be done either via the closest Indonesian embassy or with the Indonesian immigration office.

There are multiple types of visas to live in Bali:

The Single Entry Visa, often used by digital nomads.
The Multiple Entry Visa, used among others by people visiting constantly relatives who live on the island.
ITAS / KITAS (The limited stay permit, also known as a temporary residence permit), utilized by foreigners who choose to stay in Bali for a few years. This permit can be for reasons like for investors, for workers, or for family stay.With a KITAS, you are also allowed to bring your spouse or children to live in Bali (they need to apply for a dependent visa).
The Bali Retirement Visa, which we will give the details below.

Before applying for a retirement visa, it is common practice for people to arrive in Bali as tourists to check the local real estate market, study possible places to settle, or just to feel the island and discover if that is the place where they want to live. If you decide to go through this path and arrive first with a single entry visa, it is highly recommended that you have some sort of travel insurance or health insurance. One firm we recommend for this is Ekta.

Bali Retirement Visa

A retirement visa requires you to:

Be 55 years old, or older
Have health and life insurance
Rent a property that costs over US$380 a month with a lease agreement for a minimum of one year. If you are married to a local and live in a home registered in your spouse’s name, you can circumvent this criterion.
In terms of money, you must have a pension fund of at least US$1,520 a month or must produce evidence of a lump sum of US$18,000 income per year to meet living expenditures alone (this data may change with inflation).
In addition, you can’t work and must hire an Indonesian domestic helper or household worker.
As of 2022, retirement visas are not granted to any of these countries: Afghanistan, Cameroon, Guinea, Israel, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, or Somalia.

Remember that the retirement visa (also known as a retirement KITAS) is a one-year temporary residency permit with a five-year extension option. After five years, you will be able to apply for a KITAP, or permanent stay permit. The retirement visa allows you to open a local bank account, obtain a local driver’s license, sign a lease agreement, etc.

The fantastic news is that retirees in Bali who have valid retirement visas are eligible to purchase a house. Real estate is negotiated with a 25-year lease that can be extended for an additional 20 years. If you want to buy a more expensive property, one way often used by expatriates is to purchase it as a foreign investment through a foreign-owned company (PT PMA).

Properties are very affordable in Bali when compared to western standards. And since we are talking about affordability, time to enter the next (and probably most expected) point.

House and swimming pool in Bali, Indonesia. — The affordable real estate prices make the idea of retire in Bali attractive.

Is It Cheap to Retire in Bali?

Yes, it is very cheap to retire in Bali. There are not many places in the US (if there is any) where you can live in a nice villa with a private pool for the prices you will find in Bali.

And the numbers below will prove that. I will not compare the living costs of Bali with New York or London, because nearly anywhere in the world is cheaper than those two cities. Let’s compare the cost of living in Bali with the best city for retirement in Europe (Valencia, Spain) and one of the favorite cities for pensioners in the USA (Tampa, Florida).

All prices are from Numbeo and Expatistan, two websites that crowdsource prices and living costs from thousands of users and contributors.

Cost of Living in Bali vs Valência (Spain) and Tampa (the USA)

Values in USD	Bali	Valencia	Tampa
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	1.64	11.59	22
Domestic Beer (0.5-liter draught)	2.97	2.9	6
Eggs (regular) (12)	1.48	1.98	3.3
Chicken Fillets (1kg)	4.37	6.4	11.64
Gasoline (1 liter)	0.81	1.56	1.2
Utilities (Electricity, Water, Garbage, etc.) for 85m2 Apartment, monthly	46.05	128.6	156.61
Internet (60 Mbps or More)	26.93	31.88	63.85
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	3.6	7	14
Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes)	16	73	98
Standard men’s haircut in expat area of the city	10	20	23
Rent of an apartment (1 bedroom) in the City Centre	482.81	720.77	2,035.75
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in the City Centre	1,056.21	2,999.91	4,635.63

Cost of different items in Bali (Indonesia), Valencia (Spain), and Tampa (Florida, the USA).

That is what I call cheap, right? So what are your opinions about the idea of retire in Bali?

If you enjoyed this article about how to retire in Bali, here are a few other reading suggestions for you:

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The Most Violent Cities in Europe by Country (2023)

Some surprising conclusions about the most dangerous city in each European country.

When people ask why I left Brazil, a warm country full of natural wonders, and moved to a cold place somewhere between central and eastern Europe, there is only one answer that raises no doubts:

To escape the violence.

I say that at the very beginning of this article to answer a possible criticism: none of these cities are really that violent when you compare them to the average city in South Africa, Mexico, Colombia, or Brazil (even relatively safe cities in Mexico, like Guadalajara, are more dangerous than the cities on this list).

Even with the drastic reduction of crime in Rio during the last decades, or with the quickly decreasing homicide rates in Sao Paulo, both cities are still more dangerous than almost all places on this list. Buenos Aires, in Argentina? Same story.

TL;DR: The European cities with the highest crime rates are often safer than the safest cities in places like Latin America or Africa, as you will see below.

I hope no resident of Bradford, Craiova, or any other municipality gets offended, especially considering the fact that I tried to make this as objective as possible, by using real criteria, like:

The registered homicide rate
The crime rate (and the violent crime rate).
Property crimes, like robberies and burglaries.
The Crime Index Score, an index developed by Numbeo using data from cities all over the world and their local inhabitants to determine the severity of perceived crime and safety levels.

The ranking below has the most dangerous place in each European country, but if we also wrote about the 10 most dangerous cities in Europe, and the dirtiest cities in the world (it has 1 European country mentioned). Needless to say that none of the cities mentioned in this list are among the best places to retire in the world.

With no further ado, let’s start our list of the most dangerous places in Europe.

The Most Dangerous City in the UK

When we talk about the United Kingdom, we are not talking about a country alone, but about four (or five, depending on the definition) under the same crown.

I tell you that because the most violent city in the UK is not in England (although if East London was a city, maybe it would be among the worst places), but in Scotland. Therefore, our conclusion here also answers another question:

What is the most dangerous city in Scotland?

And it is Glasgow (we even wrote a complete guide regarding the safety of Glasgow), which in the past was called the murder capital of Europe.

Worst indicator of the city: Crime rate, where Glasgow had 1600 crimes per 100 thousand residents, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace.

Why Is Glasgow So Violent?

Glasgow is a city of extremes, from its architecture to its people. The city’s history is one of poverty, deprivation, and depression. In the 19th century, Glasgow was the center of the world’s cotton industry and was nicknamed “the Second City of the British Empire”.

However, by the start of World War I, it had become an industrial backwater compared with other industrial cities such as Manchester and Liverpool. The decline continued throughout the 20th century until it became known as “Glasgow’s darkest hour” in the 1990s when it suffered a financial crisis that saw more than 20% unemployment among young people and many large businesses going bust or relocating overseas.

Poverty and inequality are two key factors driving violence in Glasgow. The city has some of the worst health statistics in the UK; life expectancy is lower than the national average and rates of heart disease, diabetes and stroke are higher than elsewhere.

Glasgow also has one of the highest levels of child poverty in the UK — 32% compared to 20% of Edingburgh, the other large Scottish city. By the way, Edinburgh, a relatively safe city, was analyzed by us here.

Check also: How to Prepare for War as a Civilian (Read It NOW if You Live Abroad)

The Most Dangerous City in England

If we consider only England, the most violent city is Bradford, in West Yorkshire.

Not only Bradford is the city where residents feel the most unsafe, but it is also in the center of one of the most violent regions in England.

Worst indicator of the city: Sexual offenses (22,870 cases in a single year). West Yorkshire also performs remarkably badly in the violent crime rate, with 111.6 violent crimes per 100 thousand residents.

Why Is Bradford So Bad?

The first reason why Bradford is so violent is that it has a high population density, meaning that many people are living in close quarters with each other. This makes it easier for criminals to escape detection, as well as makes it harder for police to patrol the streets.

The city also has a large number of gangs who fight over territory and control their respective areas by any means necessary. Many members of these gangs are former drug dealers or addicts themselves, who have turned to crime out of desperation or boredom after being expelled from school or work.

The city has also been hit by race riots and sexual crimes are tremendously high.

Bradford is one of the Unsafest Cities in Europe for Woman

The main causes of crime in Bradford are drugs, prostitution, and violent crimes. Bradford’s downtown is the most unsafe area, but Girlington, Clayton, Little Horton, and Manningham are also dangerous.

The city was notorious for rapes and sexual assaults for a while, especially in Keighley, a Bradford neighborhood that also harbored one of the many child grooming gangs that were active in the UK not long ago.

Bradford, one of the European cities with the highest crime rates, and one of the most violent cities in Europe. — Bradford, in England, is one of the European cities with the highest crime rates. Photo by Jon Farman, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Most Violent Place in Austria

To talk about the most violent place in Austria is complicated because there is not really any violent place in Austria.

Even the Austrian capital (and largest city), Vienna, is among the safest in Europe (and also is the most beautiful capital, together with Rome). When Viennese people tell you that a place is “unsafe,” they mean “at risk of seeing drunk people somewhere.”

There is, however, one of its districts that has a higher number of property crimes.

It is called Favoriten.

Worst indicator of the place: Burglaries. A few years ago, Favoriten had over 4 thousand occurrences of this crime in a single year.

The Most Dangerous City in Belgium

No surprise here. Brussels is the most dangerous city in Belgium.

Brussels is also one of the few cities on this list that has levels of violence comparable to some large cities in Latin America or Africa.

Crime rate in Brussels: 8.45 homicides per 100 thousand residents per year. This is comparable to São Paulo in Brazil.

The Most Violent Areas in Brussels

1) Molenbeek

Molenbeek is a commune in the city of Brussels. It is known for being a predominantly Muslim area, with many residents of North African descent. The area was originally a small village outside of Brussels that was eventually incorporated into the city. Molenbeek has become a hotbed for Islamic terrorism and radicalization in recent years.

2) Anderlecht

Anderlecht is known for its high crime rate and poverty. The neighborhood is mostly inhabited by foreign nationals from Africa and Asia, which makes it difficult for police to make arrests because many of those involved in criminal activity are undocumented immigrants.

In recent years, Belgian authorities have tried to improve conditions in Anderlecht by building new housing units and increasing police presence in the area. However, these efforts have yet to see significant results as many residents still feel unsafe living there.

3) Schaerbeek

Schaerbeek is a district in Brussels with a population of 100,000 people. It has been called “the jihadi capital of Europe” and “Europe’s most dangerous place.” It has been associated with numerous terrorist plots, including the deadly attacks on Brussels Airport and Maalbeek metro station in March 2016.

The Most Violent City in Finland

Finland is another remarkably safe whose most violent city could figure among the safest cities in the US.

The most violent city in Finland when we consider the homicide rate is Lahti, the capital of a region known as Päijänne Tavastia, a bit more than 100 kilometers distant from Helsinki.

Why it is considered the most dangerous city in Finland? Because Lahti had 80 homicides…

…in the last 20 years.

Marseille: The First Among the Most Dangerous Cities in France

The city’s high crime rate is due to several factors: an estimated 20 percent unemployment rate; a large immigrant population; and its proximity to North Africa, where drug trafficking routes originate.

Marseille’s proximity to North Africa makes it an attractive location for drug traffickers from Algeria and Morocco who smuggle narcotics into Europe through the port. The city also has a high number of young men between the ages of 15 and 24 who are unemployed or underemployed. This demographic is known for violent crime in many cities throughout Europe.

Check also our article about the Cons and Pros of Moving to France

Worst indicator of the city: the Crime Index Score, with a score of 61.65.

Frankfurt: The 1st Among the Most Dangerous Cities in Germany

Just like Finland, the most dangerous city in Germany would figure among the safest in many countries outside Europe.

Still, Frankfurt, the German financial capital, is relatively dangerous when compared to other cities in Germany.

Worst indicator of the city: General crime. Frankfurt registered 16,378 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in 2006, making it Germany’s most dangerous city

Why Is Frankfurt Dangerous? (At Least Relatively)

The first thing about Frankfurt that makes it dangerous is its location. It is located near three countries: France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. This makes it easy for international criminals to cross over from these countries into Germany and commit crimes there.

Second, there are many impoverished immigrants in Frankfurt. Many of them believed in welfare promises or fake international job agencies offering highly-paid jobs. Some of them, after facing the reality, resort to committing crimes.

Third, there are also many young people who live in Frankfurt who have no job or are sub-employed. Since the city has a high cost of living, they resort to crime to pay for their necessities.

The Most Dangerous City in Greece

Again, no surprise: the most dangerous city in Greece is Athens.

Personal anecdote: I spent 3 days in Athens with my parents. In this short period, thieves stole both me and my father (on different days). Here you can read more about my experience of (un)safety in Athens.

Worst indicator of the city: Property Crimes.

Areas to Avoid in Athens

There are many areas to avoid in Athens, Greece. Here are three of them.

Omonia — Omonia is a busy area and there’s always something going on. This is also the place where my car door was broken by thieves and they stole everything inside.

Many homeless people in this area may not be able to tell you where they are from or speak English well. They may ask you for money or food so be careful when interacting with them as they may try to rob you or hurt you if they feel threatened by you in any way.

Monastiraki Square — Located just outside of Plaka, an old town near Syntagma Square which is where parliament meets. This area contains many hotels, restaurants, shops, and other businesses but it can also be quite crowded with tourists and locals alike so it can be easy for someone to steal from you without being noticed by anyone else nearby due to all of the noise coming from different directions at once. This is exactly how my father had his cellphone pickpocketed.

Gazi — Gazi is an industrial area of Athens that has grown into a popular residential neighborhood over time. It’s known for its nightlife scene but also has some problems with crime including theft, drugs, and prostitution.

The Unknown Champion Among the Most Dangerous Cities in Ireland

Many people believe that the most dangerous city in Ireland is Dublin. But the Irish capital has a close 2nd place (in fact, Dublin is a relatively safe city considering its size), losing to Waterford, the country’s oldest city.

Worst indicator of the city: Assaults and weapon crimes.

What Is the Most Dangerous City in Italy?

Catania.

It is a close dispute between Naples and Catania about which one is the most dangerous city in Italy, with the Sicilian city having a slightly higher perceived crime than Napoli. There are also complex issues with organized crime (also known as mafia) that, for decades, haunted the region.

Rome, on the other hand, is relatively safe.

Worst indicator of the city: Crime Index Score (60.36).

Budget Travelers Digital Nomad and Expats Book — Book recommended: Budget Travelers, Digital Nomads & Expats: The Ultimate Guide: 50 Tips, Tricks, Hacks and Ways to Free Stuff & Cheaper Flights

Among the Most Dangerous City in the Netherlands, The Capital

One of the most visited capitals in Europe, Amsterdam is also the most dangerous city in the Netherlands, just above Eindhoven and Rotterdam (the best cities to retire in the Netherlands are, as you can imagine, none of the three).

Worst indicator of the city: Robberies, with 226 in a single year.

What should I avoid in Amsterdam?

Red Light District

The red light district is home to many prostitutes and drug dealers. It is also one of the most popular tourist areas in Amsterdam. However, it is not safe to wander around alone at night or during the early hours of the morning. Many tourists have been robbed there.

Sint Annekerkplein

This square is located behind Central Station (Centraal Station) and is a popular hangout spot for drug addicts and homeless people. Crime rates are high here so you should avoid this area at all costs unless you are going there with a group of people or if you want to take pictures of the famous Amsterdam windmills nearby.

Jordaan area

This neighborhood is known for its narrow streets and canal houses but it has become rather unsafe over the years due to drug trafficking and prostitution activities taking place there. There have been several reports of violent crimes being committed in this neighborhood so it would be wise to keep your distance from it if possible

Siemianowice Śląskie: The Most Dangerous City in Poland

If there is one city on this list that you never heard about (or can even pronounce its name), I bet it is this one.

This industrial city is part of the metropolitan area of Katowice, the largest conurbation in the Silesian region. Silesia was once prosperous due to mining activities, but due to pressure from the European Union, multiple mine-related industries closed and the municipality faced considerable social issues.

Worst indicator of the city: Violent Crimes, with 36 per 1000 residents.

Albufeira: The Least Safe Town in Portugal

Here is another example of a very safe country where the most violent town is really not that unsafe.

Portugal is such a peaceful country that its capital, Lisbon, is among the safest in Europe.

Albufeira is a Portuguese city in the Faro District, a district and sub-region of the Algarve, with a population of roughly 40,000 people. It is the capital of a municipality with a total area of 140.66 km2 and a population of 40,828 people.

Worst indicator of the city: Crime Rate, with 8.35 cases per 1000 residents per year.

Romanians Put Craiova in the Top of the Most Dangerous Cities in Romania

Craiova is a city in the middle of Romania. It has a population of almost 300,000 people and it is the capital of Dolj County. Some parts of the city are beautiful and have many attractions for tourists. But Craiova also has a dark side.

The city is known as one of the most dangerous cities in Romania, if not the most dangerous (competing with the capital, Bucharest). The crime rate is way above the national average.

The reasons why Craiova is dangerous are:

-The high unemployment rate means that many people don’t have money to spend on things like food and clothes, so they turn to crime;

-The high poverty rate means that some people have no choice but to steal or beg on the street to survive;

-Ethnic tensions.

-There are gangs in Craiova who control parts of the city where they sell drugs or rob houses (these gangs often recruit new members from schools).

Worst indicator of the city: Crime Index Score (56.2).

The 2 Most Dangerous Cities in Spain

Here, exceptionally, instead of one city we list two since they are basically merged into a single metropolis. The most dangerous cities in Spain are El Prat de Llobregat and Barcelona (the capital, Madrid, despite its 3 million inhabitants, is safer than these two cities).

(If you ever took a flight to Barcelona’s main airport, one of the most affordable to land in Europe, you actually landed in the city of El Prat).

To walk in the touristy core of Barcelona while not paying attention to your surroundings is among the most stupid things you can do in Europe.

Worst indicator of the cities: Crime Rate, with 86 (El Prat de Llobregat) and 71 (Barcelona) cases per 1000 residents per year.

Grenades and Gangs in Malmo: The Most Dangerous City in Sweden

Malmo, Sweden’s third-largest city, has become one of Europe’s most dangerous cities in the last years and has been compared to Chicago in the issue of street violence. Curiously, it is also the fastest-growing European city.

Malmo had 65 shootings in a single year. Now, considering that Malmo only has close to 345 thousand people, you can see how harsh this Swedish city has become.

Worst indicator of the city: Crime Index Score (56.75)

Image of Malmo, Sweden, a city that frequently figures among the most dangerous in Europe — Malmo, Sweden, frequently figures among the most dangerous cities in Europe

Most Violent Cities in Europe by Country: Conclusion

When we talk about violence, it is always necessary to look for shared factors that can help us understand why it is widespread in a specific country, as we did in this article about the most dangerous cities in Mexico.

This is also valid for those cities or areas in Europe (unless we talk about very safe places like Copenhagen). One can wonder what are the common characteristics among all of them… But this is a task for a future article.

Country	Most Dangerous Place	Worst-performing violence indicator
Austria	Favoriten	Burglaries
Belgium	Brussels	Murder rate
UK	Glasgow	Crime Rate
England	Bradford	Violent Crime Rate
Finland	Lahti	Homicides
France	Marseille	Crime Index Score
Germany	Frankfurt	Crime Rate
Greece	Athens	Property Crimes
Ireland	Waterford	Assaults and weapon crimes
Italy	Naples	Crime Index Score
Netherlands	Amsterdam	Robberies
Poland	Siemianowice Śląskie	Violent Crimes
Portugal	Albufeira	Crime Rate
Romania	Craiova	Crime Index Score
Spain	El Prat de Llobregat	Violent Crimes
Sweden	Malmo	Crime Index Score

Table with the most violent cities in Europe by country.

How to make your stay in the most violent cities in Europe a bit safer?

If you are just visiting, there are plenty of options in terms of luggage storage, so you don’t need to walk around with your carry-on bags. Reliable, convenient, and inexpensive luggage storage services (everywhere in the world!) can be found at Radical Storage.
If you want to walk around and see some beautiful spots without the risk of getting lost (or worse), hire a guide. You can find some amazing and reliable guides and tours at Viator. They will give you insider information about historical facts and curiosities, and also warn you of risky areas and keep you safe.
Areas surrounding airports and train stations can be dangerous. Book a transfer in advance from the airport/station to your destination and vice versa, so you can avoid scammers and criminals. I often used Get Transfer for that and it always worked fine.
Stay in a good hostel. Hostels are usually in the safest parts of cities (at least in Europe and South America), unlike hotels. Most hostels have private rooms that are as comfortable as a hotel, plus a friendly staff to give information. When looking for hostels, I visit Hostelworld and filter for those above grade 7.

If you enjoyed this article about the most violent cities in Europe by country, check also:

Argentina — Once a Paradise for War Criminals, Now a Great Place to Retire

The Best Cities to Retire in Europe

Best Place to Visit in Europe on Each Month of the Year

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Levi Borba is the founder of expatriateconsultancy.com, creator of the channel The Expat, and best-selling author.