Expats earn most in China

China is the third most popular country for expatriates, only next to Switzerland and Singapore, according to a recent survey commissioned by HSBC, a financial giant, and conducted by YouGov, an international market research firm.

 Click here to see the whole landscape of 2014 Expat Survey. 

China is home to the highest-earning expats in the world – nearly a quarter of foreigners in the country each earn more than $300,000 a year, according to the survey, which invited 9,288 expatriates from over 100 countries and regions to share their views on quality of life, financial wellbeing and the ease of raising a family abroad.

Less spending is another advantage of living in China as expats fork out less on public transport, household goods, utilities and leisure costs.

Higher income, combined with less spending, means that 76 percent of expats are finding themselves with more disposable income in China than they did back home, and are enjoying a better social life as a result with over two-fifths (43 percent) saying that they have a more active life since moving, compared with a global average of 28 percent.  

As for raising children, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of expats in China say the quality of their children's education has improved as a result of the move.

The US and the UK stand near the bottom on the list of 34 countries, ranking 30th and 33rd, with the top five being Switzerland - the reigning champion – Singapore, China, Germany and Bahrain.