Expats Struggle to Settle in Germany
From tricky social integration to lots of red tape: expats encounter a few hurdles when it comes to finding their feet in Germany.
In Brief
For the third time in a row, Germany can’t escape the bottom 10 of the Expat Insider survey, ranking 42nd out of 46 countries in 2025. Expats continue to be dissatisfied with the Ease of Settling In (43rd) and across all areas of the Expat Essentials Index (46th).
Things are less dire but still only mediocre when it comes to the Quality of Life (31st) and Personal Finance (28th). And Germany receives its best result in the Working Abroad Index, ranking 22nd. All in all, only 55% of respondents in Germany are happy with their life, compared to 67% worldwide.
For Careers & Education
Asked about their main motivation for moving to Germany, over a third of expats (36%) name job-related reasons. This matches the global average (36%). Above-average, on the other hand, is the share of respondents who relocated to Germany for their education (17% vs. 9% globally).
Once arrived, expats in Germany may not be overly enthusiastic about the state of the economy (27th) but still rate the local job market mostly positively (17th) and appreciate their job security (12th).
Working hours are a plus, with over two-thirds (68%) regarding them favorably (vs. 61% globally). Indeed, compared to the global average, expats in full-time positions in Germany work 1.5 hours less per week (41.0 h vs. 42.5 h).
Consequently, Germany receives its best result in an index for Working Abroad (22nd).
Settling In a Hassle
On the flip side, Germany doesn’t delight at all when it comes to settling in, be it socially or practically.
In the Expat Essentials Index — which covers topics around the subcategories Digital Life, Language, Housing, and Admin Topics — Germany has been ranking dead last ever since the index’s introduction in 2022. This is especially, but by far not only, due to the dissatisfying internet infrastructure (46th), a lack of online admin services (45th), and German bureaucracy in general (44th).
Find out more in Where It’s (Not So) Easy to Manage the Basics of Life Abroad.
A dire housing situation doesn’t help. Affordability isn’t great (37th), but the real issue is availability: Germany has occupied the second-to-last position in the ranking of this factor for three years in a row. Only 17% of expats say it’s easy for them to find accommodation in Germany — that’s 27 percentage points less than the global average of 44%.
Socially, the stereotype of the unfriendly German still sticks. The Ease of Settling In Index ranks 43rd in 2025, with bottom 10 results across all its rating factors. Less than two in five respondents (39%) agree the people are friendly towards foreign residents (vs. 60% globally). Consequently, expats in Germany are less likely to feel welcome (43rd) and at home (44th) in the country.
Over three in five respondents (63%) struggle to make local friends (vs. 42% globally). Indeed, nearly half (49%) share they are mostly friends with other expats (vs. 38%). And just 36% are happy with their social life, 16 percentage points less than the global average of 52%.
A Mixed Quality of Life
Germany places 31st in the 2025 Quality of Life Index, though the underlying results show more of a mixed picture. Expats appreciate Travel & Transit (17th) in the country, especially the infrastructure for cars (11th). Even the affordability of public transportation — typically the worst point in this subcategory — received more favorable results in recent years (29th in 2025 vs. 44th in 2022). This is possibly due to the introduction of the Deutschland-Ticket in 2023, a comparatively inexpensive monthly ticket for unlimited regional travel, valid across Germany.1
Expats are happy with their urban environment (11th), the air quality (17th), and the availability of green goods and services (5th). However, the culinary variety (39th) and culture & nightlife offering (38th) leave something to be desired. And Healthcare (29th) as well as Safety & Security (34th) receive just mediocre results, too.
So-So Finances
“Mediocre” is the word of the hour for the Personal Finance Index, which ranks 28th. Slightly over half of respondents (54%) are satisfied with their financial situation, the same share as the global average. And 44% view the general cost of living in Germany negatively, compared to 40% of expats worldwide.
The Typical Expat in Germany
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Kathrin Chudoba
Editor in chief
