AAP

Australian expats earn well: survey

Friday July 25, 07:02 PM

Forget the backpacker grunge image, almost 40 per cent of Australian expatriates living overseas earn more than $208,000 a year, a survey finds.

The proportion of expatriate Australians earning more than STG100,00 ($A208,000) - at 39 per cent - was just behind the Irish expatriates, at 45 per cent, and expatriate Brazilians, 48 per cent.

More than half of Australian expatriates were younger than 34, and 45 per cent worked in finance followed by 24 per cent in professional services.

However, the tyranny of distance shortened the time overseas expatriates stayed in Australia, the HSBC Global Expat Explorer Survey said.

Australia ranked 10th of the 15 countries in the survey of 2,155 expatriates on living standards, their ability to earn and save, a country's popularity (longevity) and the level of luxury.

While Australia scored well on levels of luxury, the ability to earn and save and accommodation but poorly for the length of stay.

The country ranked second last on length of stay, ahead of India.

HSBC Australia group communications executive Daniel Pigott said Australia's isolation from Europe contributed to the poor showing on longevity.

"Many of the expats come from European countries, and Australia is so far from there," he said.

"It was one of the reasons they don't stay as long as they do in other countries, which might be closer to Europe."

The Netherlands topped the longevity list, Germany next and the USA third.

But Australia was the top spot for those expats who did stay, with 22 per cent changing their citizenship.

Australia's outdoor lifestyle was popular for expats, with 80 per cent indicating of spending more time outdoors here than in their own country, the report said.

The best place to earn an income was Hong Kong and India, where almost half of all expatriates there earned $STG 1000,000 ($A208,000).

Singapore was the top ranked country overall, with the highest score for accommodation and was second-best for luxury and the earn and save category.

The United Kingdom was the dearest expatriate location, with 85 per cent of respondents saying their living costs had risen, while India was the cheapest.

In the luxury category, the United Arab Emirates topped the list, while expatriates in India had the best chance to earn and save.

Source:By Ed Logue, AAP

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