Spain is the eighth most popular country in the world with business expatriates in 2025, according to The World's Best Countries For Business Expats ranking prepared by CEOWorld Magazine. Led by the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Australia, the list is clearly dominated by Asia. The top ten only includes two European countries out of a total of 68 analysed.

Above Switzerland, which ranks ninth, Spain is the top European country in the ranking. According to the magazine, Spain's eighth position in the world is due to its rich cultural heritage and a thriving economy that attracts expats from all over the world. Ahead of it, this international executive mobility study ranks Thailand fourth, closely followed by Taiwan, the Philippines and Brazil, the first American country on the list.

European ranking
Behind Spain, Switzerland is the ninth best country for expat entrepreneurs, with Japan closing the top ten. In Europe, third place goes to Portugal (13th in the overall ranking), followed by Estonia, which is 14th in the world.

Data was drawn from a survey of 105,000 expats and 7,000 international recruiters from 95 countries. Questions revolve around six areas: career opportunities, earning potential, quality of life, ease of family relocation, ease of raising families and ease of settling in.

Professional advancement
Criteria such as business environment, location and infrastructure also serve to gauge how respondents perceive these countries. This ranking aims to provide valuable information for professionals considering relocation for career progression in 2025.

The survey differentiates between two types of business expats. On the one hand, employees sent abroad by multinationals to work in their branches or subsidiaries and, on the other hand, independent expats doing business abroad.

^{Photo: CEOWorld Magazine}