Best Countries to Move to in 2027: Global Rankings and a Personal Top 7

There is no single “best country to move to” — it depends entirely on which ranking you look at and which criteria matter (a real path to permanent residency, time to citizenship, openness to newcomers, safety) — but weighing all of these for 2027, Canada comes out on top.

In short

• Canada topped a tourist safety ranking for the first time, climbing from 5th place to 1st in a single year.
• On the Global Peace Index, Canada ranks only 14th, though it remains the most peaceful country in North and Central America.
• In the World Happiness Report, Canada fell behind the US for the first time, landing at its worst-ever 25th place.
• Out of 31 countries surveyed about expats’ experience, Canada ranks last on personal finances due to expensive housing and groceries.
• In 2027, Canada plans to admit up to 622,000 new permanent residents, with citizenship available after 3 years out of the last 5.

The World’s Safest Country: What a Tourist Safety Ranking Actually Shows

The world’s safest country for travelers, according to a well-known global safety ranking, is Canada. Just a year ago it held only fifth place in that same ranking; now it has climbed to first. New Zealand takes second place, Australia third.

The ranking is built on a survey of American travelers combined with data on crime, terrorism, and the state of healthcare. On violent crime, Canada ranks second in the world — only one country is safer. On terrorism threat, it’s also second place. And the ranking rates Canada highest of all for the safety of women and people of any skin color.

For comparison, the US doesn’t even make the top fifteen of this ranking.

But this number comes with a caveat. The ranking is based on a survey of American travelers, so it shows where they feel safest traveling — not how safe life actually is for people who live there. It’s a visitor’s view of a country, not a resident’s — and for anyone weighing a move rather than a trip, that’s a fundamental difference.

It’s a visitor’s view of a country, not a resident’s — and for anyone weighing a move rather than a trip, that’s a fundamental difference.

The Global Peace Index: The Calmest Country, and Where Canada and the US Land

The world’s most peaceful country, according to the Global Peace Index, is Iceland. The index scores countries each year on 23 indicators, including crime rates, involvement in military conflicts, and the size of the armed forces — in other words, it looks at conditions inside a country rather than how comfortable it is for a tourist.

Second place goes to New Zealand, third to Switzerland. Canada ranks only fourteenth on this index, trailing Slovenia, Ireland, Austria, Portugal, Singapore, Japan, and several other countries. That produces an odd picture: the country rated safest for tourists comes in only fourteenth for internal peace.

There is a consolation, though: among all the countries of North and Central America, Canada is the most peaceful. The US ranks 134th on the same index — against that kind of neighborhood, Canada’s fourteenth place looks a lot more solid.

The World Happiness Report: Why Canada Just Had Its Worst Showing Ever

In the World Happiness Report, Canada placed 25th out of 147 countries — its worst result since the rankings began. For the first time, the country fell behind the US, even though it beats its neighbor by a wide margin on safety and peacefulness.

Looking at the share rather than the raw rank softens the picture: Canada still lands in the top 17% of countries worldwide for happiness. Finland holds first place for the ninth year running, followed by Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica, and Sweden — Nordic countries and the Caribbean consistently outscore North America on this measure.

Still, Canada ranks happier than the UK, France, Italy, and Spain — major European economies with developed infrastructure. That suggests the drop isn’t about worsening living conditions as such, but about a shift in how Canadians themselves rate their own lives.

Best Cities and Quality of Life: Copenhagen, Vancouver, Ottawa

The best city in the world to live in is Copenhagen: it has topped a major global liveability ranking for the second year running, scoring 98 out of 100. The ranking evaluates stability, healthcare, culture, education, and infrastructure. Vienna takes second place, Melbourne third.

From all of North America, only one city makes the top ten of this ranking — Vancouver. It takes ninth place with 96 points, just two points short of the top spot.

A separate quality-of-life ranking factors in different variables: housing costs, safety, and commute times. By that measure, Canada’s capital, Ottawa, is rated the best city in North America, placing 28th worldwide.

Career, Education, and the Overall Best Countries Ranking

Canada lands in the top five countries in the world for career and education, in a ranking that weighs earnings, career growth, job prestige, and quality of education. Only Switzerland, Singapore, and Australia rank higher; the UK and the US share fourth place; Canada is fifth.

There’s also a separate ranking of higher education systems covering one hundred countries, and Canada again makes the top five: the US is third, Sweden fourth, Canada fifth. For anyone weighing studying abroad, that’s a solid point in the country’s favor.

The overall “best countries” ranking tells a different story, though. It compares one hundred countries across one hundred indicators, and Canada placed only 19th. Switzerland, Denmark, and Sweden lead the pack, followed by Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway.

The drop looks steep at first glance: Canada was second in this ranking in 2023, fourth in 2024. But the ranking’s authors changed their methodology — they used to survey people on countries’ reputations, now they rely purely on hard statistics. Under the new method, the US fell from third place to eighteenth, and the authors themselves ask that the new rankings not be compared directly with the old ones — so this drop doesn’t reflect a sudden decline in conditions in Canada.

Canada’s Position in Key Rankings

Ranking	Canada’s Rank	Leaders
Career and education	5 (out of many)	Switzerland, Singapore, Australia
Higher education systems (100 countries)	5	US, Sweden
Overall best countries (100 countries, 100 indicators)	19	Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden

Immigrant Finances and the Desire to Move: Where Canada Falls Short

Immigrants rate their personal finances in Canada worse than in any of the other thirty countries covered in a survey of people who moved abroad. Canada sits dead last on that list. The best financial outcomes, according to those surveyed, are reported in Panama, Thailand, Mexico, Portugal, and Malaysia — the gap is obvious to anyone living in Canada: housing and groceries here are expensive.

In the overall standings of that same survey, Canada ranks 27th out of 31, with Panama holding the top spot for the third year running. That’s not a reason to start packing, though: the survey only asks people whether they’re satisfied with their lives — it doesn’t measure actual prices, healthcare quality, or crime rates. On top of that, only 31 countries made the table at all; the rest didn’t collect enough responses to be counted. Panama is also hot and humid year-round, and getting by day to day requires Spanish. Citizenship there comes after five years with permanent residency, and getting to permanent status usually takes two years on a temporary permit first — about seven years in total, which is a fine trade-off for a relaxed life but not the fastest route to a passport.

Despite the poor showing on finances, that hasn’t dampened the desire to move to Canada. The US tops the list of countries people around the world most want to move to, and Canada has held second place for several years running — named by 9% of people who’d like to leave their home country permanently. Search data tells a similar story: among 75 countries, Canada ranks first for “moving to” and “living in” searches, with roughly 270,000 searches, ahead of second-place Australia at around 208,000. One more point in Canada’s favor: it ranked first in the world in a survey on how welcoming locals are to newcomers — notably the last survey of its kind the research firm behind it conducted.

A Personal Ranking: #7 — The UAE

This ranking of countries to move to is built on four criteria: whether there’s a real path to permanent residency, how long citizenship takes, how open the country is to newcomers, and its level of safety. Closing out the list is the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE’s upsides are obvious: no personal income tax and a calm, safe environment. The Golden Visa grants residency for five or ten years, renewable. But there’s one drawback that outweighs the rest: this visa doesn’t lead to citizenship, and there’s no standard path to a UAE passport. That makes the country a good fit for living there for a few years, but not for relocating permanently.

#6 — Portugal: Citizenship Now Takes 10 Years

Sixth place in this personal ranking goes to Portugal — warm climate and prices that are affordable compared to Canada. Permanent residency here can be obtained after five years.

But as of May 2026, getting citizenship has gotten much harder: instead of five years, applicants now need ten years of residence before applying for a passport. By comparison, Canada requires just three years out of the last five for citizenship — half of Portugal’s new threshold. Ten years of waiting is a steep price for mild weather if the goal of moving is citizenship, not just temporary residence.

#5 — New Zealand: New Paths to Permanent Residency Since 2026

Fifth place in the personal ranking goes to New Zealand — a country that ranks second for tourist safety and second for peacefulness. Untouched nature, low crime, and a welcoming attitude toward newcomers are its strengths, but there’s a catch.

Since late August 2026, the country has opened two new paths to permanent residency: one for highly experienced workers, another for skilled tradespeople. In both cases, applicants first need at least a year and a half of work inside New Zealand itself. Citizenship can follow roughly five years after that.

The downsides are real, too: a small job market, geographic distance from the rest of the world, occasional natural disasters, and the general challenges of isolation.

#4 — The United States: New Fees and a Paused Green Card Lottery

Fourth place in the personal ranking goes to the United States — the country with the highest salaries and the largest job market in the world. Citizenship here is available five years after getting a green card, but the employment-based green card itself remains the biggest bottleneck in the whole system.

About 140,000 such green cards are issued per year, and that number includes applicants’ family members, so the actual number of work slots is smaller. On top of that, no single country can receive more than 7% of the total green cards issued — the quota is spread across all countries under that same cap.

The rules for moving to the US keep shifting as it is, and recent changes haven’t favored new applicants. A $100,000 fee was introduced for new foreign workers applying for a work visa, and the green card lottery — another route previously used by applicants without an employer sponsor — has been paused.

A $100,000 fee was introduced for new foreign workers applying for a work visa, and the green card lottery — another route previously used by applicants without an employer sponsor — has been paused.

#3 — Germany: The Opportunity Card and a Salary Threshold for Skilled Workers

Third place in the personal ranking goes to Germany — a country with a clear path to a passport. For those entering without a job offer in hand, there’s the “Opportunity Card” (Chancenkarte): it lets you come for a year and look for work on the ground. To qualify, you need to score six points across education, experience, age, and language skills, plus show enough funds to cover a year of living costs.

If a job offer is already in hand, there’s a different path — a skilled-worker residence permit. That requires a salary of at least €50,700 a year.

German citizenship is available after five years of residence. The fast-track option — three years — that used to exist was abolished in October 2025. The country’s main drawback is the language: without German, integration is difficult.

#2 — Australia: 185,000 Permanent Residency Spots a Year

Second place in the personal ranking goes to Australia — the country admits 185,000 people a year for permanent residency, with more than 70% of those spots going to skilled workers. Citizenship is available after four years of lawful residence, with the condition that the final year of those four must already be spent on permanent residency — meaning applicants need to secure PR status earlier in the process.

Australia has a downside too: nearly 130,000 of the 185,000 spots go to people already living in the country. Those looking to move in from scratch get a smaller share of the quota, and competing for it is harder than for people who already hold some other status in Australia.

#1 — Canada: Why It Tops This 2027 Ranking

#1 — Canada: why it leads the ranking for moving abroad in 2027

First place in the personal ranking goes to Canada — the country plans to grant permanent residency to up to 622,000 people in 2027. Of that, 422,000 spots fall under the main immigration plan, with up to 200,000 more under a one-time program available only to people already living in Canada. For those applying from abroad, there’s still plenty of room: the country runs more than 120 immigration programs and streams, giving a real shot to skilled workers in in-demand fields, English or French speakers, and candidates with strong education credentials.

Citizenship is available after three years of residence out of the last five — faster than Portugal, Germany, or the US.

Beyond the numbers, Canada wins on openness: surveys rank it second in the world for how many people want to move there, and first for how welcoming locals are to newcomers. The experience of people who’ve actually moved backs this up: open discrimination or markedly poor treatment of newcomers is rarely reported there.

Canada also holds the top spot among countries for travelers, ranks in the top five for career and education, and one of its cities is the only North American city in the world’s top ten for liveability. Money is tighter here than in the US, but weighed across all the criteria in this ranking, Canada still comes out ahead — it’s a country of contrasts: the world’s safest for a tourist, and at the same time one of the toughest on an immigrant’s wallet.

it’s a country of contrasts: the world’s safest for a tourist, and at the same time one of the toughest on an immigrant’s wallet

Personal Ranking of Countries to Move To: Pros, Cons, and Time to Citizenship

Table scrolls sideways

Country	Canada	Australia	Germany	United States	New Zealand	Portugal
Rank	1	2	3	4	5	6
Time to citizenship	3 years out of the last 5	4 years (last year on PR)	5 years	5 years after green card	~5 years	10 years (as of May 2026)
Main advantage	120+ immigration programs, up to 622K spots in 2027	185K PR spots per year	Opportunity Card, no employer offer needed	Highest salaries and largest job market	New PR paths since August 2026	Warm climate, affordable prices
Main drawback	High cost of housing and groceries	~130K of 185K spots reserved for those already in the country	German language required	$100K work visa fee, green card lottery paused	Small job market, isolation	Citizenship now takes 10 years

This ranking is built on four criteria: path to permanent residency, time to citizenship, openness to newcomers, and safety.

Frequently asked questions

Does a ranking of the safest countries for tourists tell you how safe it actually is to live there long-term, not just visit?

No: this ranking is built on a survey of American travelers and shows where they feel safest traveling, not how safe everyday life actually is for local residents. For a better read on day-to-day safety within a country, the Global Peace Index is more relevant — and on that index, Canada ranks only 14th.

Can you get Canadian citizenship faster than three years if you have money or exceptional qualifications?

The material mentions only one path to Canadian citizenship — three years of residence out of the last five — and doesn’t name any accelerated options (through investment, exceptional merit, or otherwise). If such a path exists, it falls outside the process covered here.

What happens if you apply to one of Canada’s immigration programs and don’t qualify?

Canada runs more than 120 immigration programs and streams aimed at different profiles — skilled workers in in-demand fields, English or French speakers, candidates with strong educational credentials. If one stream doesn’t fit, applicants typically still have other programs on that list to consider.

Is it worth moving to the top-ranked country in the survey of satisfied expats instead of Canada?

No, there’s no reason to rush: that survey only asks people whether they’re satisfied with their lives — it doesn’t measure actual prices, healthcare quality, or crime rates. On top of that, only 31 countries made the table due to insufficient responses from the rest, so the picture is incomplete.

Can you get permanent residency in New Zealand without first working in the country?

Under the new permanent residency paths opened in late August 2026 — for experienced workers and for skilled tradespeople — both require at least a year and a half of work inside New Zealand first. You can’t apply through either path without that step.

Can you get a skilled-worker residence permit in Germany with a salary below the threshold?

The material cites a specific threshold for the skilled-worker residence permit — at least €50,700 a year — tied specifically to having a job offer in hand. If there’s no job offer yet, the alternative is the Opportunity Card, which doesn’t require a salary threshold and is instead scored on points for education, experience, age, and language skills.

What happens to people who already applied for the US green card lottery before it was paused?

The material only states the fact that the green card lottery — one of the paths for applicants without an employer sponsor — has been paused, without details on the status of applications already submitted. There isn’t enough information here to say what happens to those applications.

Does the $100,000 US work visa fee apply to people already working in the country on that visa?

The material states the fee was introduced specifically for new foreign workers, meaning people entering on that visa for the first time. It doesn’t specify separate conditions for people already working in the US on that visa and renewing their status.