Housing, bureaucracy and "ease of settling in" are among the major problems faced by international residents in Germany, according to a new survey.
The latest Expat Insider Survey released by InterNations, captures the opinions of over 10,000 expats living in 46 countries. The survey ranks everything from quality of life to digital challenges, and how easy it is make friends in the country. It also looks at the job prospects for foreign residents.
Germany was ranked 42nd out of 46 countries in overall satisfaction. This disappointing result, largely unchanged from 2024 (50th out of 53 countries) suggests the country is struggling to make any real headway overcoming long-standing issues.
It also suggests an ongoing disconnect between the image which Germany projects to the world – of an open, modern, dynamic cultural and economic powerhouse – with the everyday realities of struggling with issues around housing, bureaucracy, discrimination, and digital infrastructure.
But while the figures for Germany largely make for grim reading, it's still possible to find a few bright spots in the data.
What does the survey reveal about Germany?
In the 2025 InterNations Expat Insider survey, Germany landed in last place (46th out of 46 countries) in the "Expat Essentials" category for the fourth consecutive year. Made up of four subcategories, Expat Essentials looks at how manageable international residents find life in a new country.
Digital Life: Germany ranked 46th, the lowest in the survey, due to limited availability of online administrative services, poor internet connectivity compared to other countries, and widespread reliance on cash rather than digital payments.
This largely reflects the findings in recent reader surveys carried out by The Local, including struggles with the “endless amounts of paperwork” in Germany and the impossibility of finding information online which “would save so much time and stress and anxiety”.
Admin Topics: Close to two-thirds (65 percent) of expats rate German bureaucracy negatively – especially on topics like dealing with local administration, opening bank accounts and obtaining visas – with 32 percent giving it the worst possible rating.
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Language: Germany ranks 45th in this subcategory. Two-thirds (67 percent) of foreign residents find German difficult to learn, higher than the global average of 41 percent.
Housing: Germany placed 43rd. While housing costs are high (ranked 37th), the bigger problem is availability. Some 63 percent of foreign residents find it hard to find accommodation, nearly double the global average (36 percent).
READ ALSO: How to make friends with Germans
Social integration itself is a persistent struggle, too. Germany ranks near the bottom of the “Ease of Settling In” index, ahead of only Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden.
Where does Germany score well?
One area where Germany still does well in comparison to other countries is employment. The country ranks 23rd in the “Working Abroad” index (it’s best result).
Expats may not be overly enthusiastic about the state of the economy (27th) but still rate the local job market mostly positively (17th) and appreciate their job security (12th).
READ ALSO: Five ways working in Germany is better than employment in the US
One British national based in Munich explained that “I appreciate the job security and workers’ rights", and referenced regulations around overtime as an advantage of working in Germany.
Quality of life
Germany places 31st in the survey’s 2025 “Quality of Life” index.
International residents appreciate Travel & Transit (17th) in the country, especially the infrastructure for cars (11th). Even the affordability of public transportation – typically the worst point in this subcategory – received a more favourable result than in recent years (29th in 2025, up from 44th in 2022).
The authors of the survey suggest this may be as a result of the introduction of the Deutschlandticket in 2023.
READ ALSO: Why do foreigners find Germany such a hard country to settle in?
How did other countries do?
The Local has readers from all over the world – and you can find out exactly what expats think of your home country here.
Broadly speaking, however, anglophone or partly anglophone countries were grouped in the lower half of the list along with most European countries (Spain was a clear exception in 9th place overall).
Australia had the best overall ranking of anglophone countries in 19th place, followed by Ireland (28th), South Africa (35th), the USA (36th), Canada (40th) and the UK (41st). Other anglophone or partly anglophone countries such as India weren’t included among the 46 countries.
And finally…
According to the survey, the happiest expats in 2025 are the international residents of Panama, Colombia and Mexico, with these three Central American countries occupying spots one, two and three on the overall list.
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