Estonia named the world's best country to move to in 2026

In the Rumavi Global Relocation Index, Estonia topped the list of 192 countries due to its banking infrastructure, job opportunities, and property rights.

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Estonia named the world's best country to move to in 2026

The Rumavi Global Relocation Index, which ranks the most suitable countries and regions to move to in 2026, has been released. According to the index, Estonia took the top spot on the list with high scores in areas such as banking infrastructure, job opportunities, and property rights for non-citizens.

Published at the end of the second quarter each year, the index evaluates 192 countries based on 24 criteria. These criteria are grouped under the headings of finance and tax, livability and health, safety and stability, and settlement and opportunities.

Baltık bölgesini ve Estonya’yı gösteren harita yakın planı. — Estonia ranked first among 192 countries in the index.

In addition to expert opinions, various international datasets were used in the evaluation. While the World Bank's purchasing power parity data and the Mercer Cost of Living Survey were examined for cost of living, the Global Peace Index 2025 and the World Bank WGI Government Effectiveness indicators were taken into account for political stability.

IN WHICH AREAS DID ESTONIA STAND OUT?

Estonia received 99 out of 100 points in the field of currency and banking. The country's job opportunities score was announced as 96, housing accessibility as 82, green spaces as 86, and street safety as 77.

Tallinn limanı ve kent siluetini gösteren geniş açılı Estonya manzarası. — Estonia's capital, Tallinn, is one of the notable centers of the Baltic region.

In contrast, Estonia's weakest link was climate comfort. Due to cold and dark winters, the country could only receive 20 points out of 100 in this category.

In the top 10 of the global list, Estonia was followed by Singapore, Malaysia, Portugal, and Taiwan. Lithuania, Hong Kong, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Czechia, and Malta also made the top 10. It was notable that five countries from Europe entered the top 10.

Tallinn’in tarihi şehir merkezi, kuleleri ve yeşil alanlarıyla gün batımında görülüyor. — Estonia received strong scores in areas such as green spaces and digital infrastructure.

Among European countries, Portugal ranked highest after Estonia. Portugal showed strong performance in banking services, property rights for non-citizens, and low conflict risk. However, it remained at 48 points in the income tax category.

Lithuania, one of the Baltic countries, also entered the list in sixth place. The index highlighted Lithuania's abundant green spaces and its currency and banking infrastructure. Czechia ranked ninth, and Malta tenth.

In addition to the general ranking, separate lists were prepared for retirees, digital nomads, families, and entrepreneurs. For digital nomads, cost of living, digital infrastructure, and foreign income tax were calculated with higher weight. For retirees, the quality of healthcare services and foreign income tax stood out.

Tallinn’de tarihi kapıların ve taş sokakların akşam ışıkları altında görüntüsü. — Estonia once again took the top spot in the evaluation for families.

In the list prepared for families, the most weight was given to street safety; the education system, cost of living, and quality of healthcare services were also decisive. According to these criteria, Estonia also ranked first for families. The country placed second after Singapore in the entrepreneurs category.

While Portugal was shown in second place after Malaysia for digital nomads, it was third in the list prepared for retirees.

News Source: 12punto