Bahrain offers the best work-life balance worldwide for expatriates after Denmark, said a new report from InterNations, the largest global network and information site for people who live and work abroad.

Close to half the expats in Bahrain (46 per cent) cited work-related reasons for moving there, and it seems like it was a good choice, added the Expat Insider survey from InterNations.

“You can still find time to relax after a day of work,” said an expat from the Philippines. Moreover, seven in ten (70 per cent) say they make more money than they would in a similar job back home. Maybe that is why close to three-quarters (73 per cent) are generally satisfied with their job in Bahrain, the report noted.

Key findings:

•    Satisfaction with work-life balance: 69 per cent
•    Satisfaction with working hours: 72 per cent
•    Average full-time working hours: 42.9 hours

Meanwhile, Oman has been ranked in the ninth place for work-life balance for expatriates in the survey.

Many expats (43 per cent) moved to Oman for work-related reasons, and nearly all of those living there (96 per cent) work full time — the highest share among the top 10 featured countries, said the Expat Insider.

While they are still happy with their work-life balance, only three in five (60 per cent) are generally satisfied with their job, which might be due to a low satisfaction with career prospects (39 per cent) and job security (47 per cent).

Key findings:

•    Satisfaction with work-life balance: 67 per cent
•    Satisfaction with working hours: 70 per cent
•    Average full-time working hours: 43.5 hours

On a global scale, expats working full time spend an average of 44.3 hours a week at work: about three in five of them are satisfied with their work-life balance (60 per cent) as well as their working hours (61 per cent).

Interestingly, it seems like it is not only the number of hours spent at work that lead to a high satisfaction with work-life balance, as the latest Expat Insider survey revealed.

The ranking shows that those who are the most satisfied with their work-life balance do not necessarily work significantly fewer hours. But in most of the countries, they express above-average satisfaction with their life abroad in general — for example in New Zealand (89 per cent), Costa Rica (88 per cent), and the Czech Republic (87 per cent).

Denmark (no. 1) and Bahrain (2) are followed by Norway (3), the Czech Republic (4), New Zealand (5), Sweden (6), Costa Rica (7), The Netherlands (8), Oman (9) and Malta (10). – TradeArabia News Service