Expatriates in Israel Perceive Their New Home as the Most Dynamic Country Worldwide

Perception Is in the Eye of the Beholder

The measurement of expatriates’ subjective image of their new neighbors is based on a variety of questions about the local population’s tendency towards innovation or tradition, as well as whether residents are considered to be rather reserved or outgoing. Responses were collected on a rating scale of one to seven, the factors combined and the score displayed on psychographic positioning charts for several geographical regions. For example, results include the US being perceived as the most dynamic culture on the American continent, while the UK is among the top four for dynamism in Europe. Germans, on the other hand, are seen as one of the most aloof and rational nations in the world.

Results that Stand Out from the Crowd

Israelis are perceived as the most dynamic people in the world by far – these results even surpass the borders of the psychographic positioning chart. Another eye-catching result from the Asian-Pacific region is Myanmar, whose population is considered to be noticeably traditional. On the other side of the planet, Brazil, one of the world’s emerging markets, ranks almost as highly as the US on the dynamic scale, although Brazil is situated closer to the "emotional" axis. It’s also interesting to note that no other member of the emerging BRIC countries (China, India, and Russia) is close to Brazil regarding their perceived dynamism.

Taking a Closer Look by Region

A closer look at the psychographic positioning of European destinations for expatriates shows that the north of Europe is generally perceived as more rational and distant and the south as more emotional and friendly. People in Cyprus and Slovakia value tradition the most, while those in the Netherlands and Denmark are especially dynamic. Germany is considered to have an extremely rational and balanced population – a result that only Finland and Norway come close to. On the other hand, the warmth and traditional values of Southern European cultures such as Spain, Italy, Greece or Portugal are also reflected in the psychographic positioning by InterNations.

The Americas see a clear contrast between north and south, similar to the European divide. The world’s largest economy, the US, is perceived as the most dynamic culture on the American continent, while Costa Rica is considered to be the most traditional one. At the same time, Costa Rica also ranks highly in the top destinations for expatriates according to the InterNations Expat Insider 2014 survey.

The chart for the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East holds the most exceptional result of the psychographic positioning survey. Israel’s image among expatriates by far exceeds the results of other innovative destinations such as Hong Kong or Singapore. Apart from Israel, only Australia, New Zealand, and the UAE stand out for their dynamic cultures. Other nationalities from the same region, such as people in Myanmar, Indonesia, India, Japan, or Saudi Arabia, have a tendency to be seen as more traditional.

The African continent shows an interesting divide. Most African nations are perceived as quite traditional, especially Angola and Ghana. However, Nigeria in the west, Kenya in the east, and South Africa on the cape distinguish themselves prominently by standing out for their dynamic development. This result should not come as a great surprise, as these three are indeed Africa’s fasted-growing regional hubs.