According to Experts.news, the Experts Club think tank analyzed the results of the international Expat Insider 2026 survey, conducted by the InterNations community. Panama, Mexico, and Thailand were named the best countries for expats to live in, while Norway, Germany, and Turkey ranked last.
The survey was conducted from February 1 to March 31, 2026. A total of 7,786 expats representing 162 nationalities participated. The final ranking included 31 countries, each of which received at least 50 completed questionnaires. Participants evaluated up to 53 aspects of life abroad, including work, personal finances, quality of life, living conditions, and ease of social adaptation.
Panama took first place for the third year in a row. About 87% of foreigners living in the country said they were satisfied with their life abroad, while the global average was 70%.
The country ranked first in working conditions and personal finances, second in ease of adaptation and access to essential services, and sixth in quality of life. About 90% of respondents believe their current income is sufficient for a comfortable life, and 76% are satisfied with their financial situation.
Panama also received the highest ratings for housing affordability. Nine out of ten expats reported that it is easy to find housing in the country. 82% of respondents described the visa application process as simple. Retirees make up a significant portion of the expat community—their share reached 37%, and 34% of respondents intend to stay in the country permanently.
Mexico took second place, once again becoming the global leader in ease of social adaptation. About 73% of foreigners said it was easy for them to make friends among locals, compared to a global average of 39%.
However, safety remains a weak point for Mexico. 68% of respondents rated their personal safety positively, compared to a global average of 81%. Despite this, 73% of expats are satisfied with their financial situation, and 38% plan to stay in the country permanently.
Thailand took third place and became the country with the most life-satisfied expats. 86% of respondents reported feeling content, and 42% expect to stay in the country permanently.
Expatriates particularly praised the cost of living, the affordability of rent, and the quality of healthcare. At the same time, Thailand received low ratings for its environmental conditions, digital administrative services, and the ease of opening bank accounts. Only 33% of respondents rated air quality positively, and 80% consider the Thai language difficult to learn.
The top ten in the ranking also included the UAE, Brazil, Spain, Singapore, Portugal, Malaysia, and Luxembourg. The top five countries in the personal finance index are Panama, Thailand, Mexico, Portugal, and Malaysia. In most of the top-ranked countries, expats also rate housing affordability and the attitude of the local population highly.
Norway came in last, at 31st place. Only 46% of foreigners living there are satisfied with their lives, and 72% find it difficult to make friends among the local population. Only 39% of respondents rated their financial situation positively.
At the same time, Norway remains one of the countries with the highest ratings for environmental conditions, air quality, job security, and economic stability. The main challenges for expats were the high cost of living, social isolation, the climate, and limited leisure opportunities.
Germany ranked 30th. About 61% of expats described dealing with the bureaucratic system as difficult. Only 19% rated housing affordability positively, and the same percentage found it easy to find housing.
Germany also ranked last on the index of basic conditions for expats. Survey participants criticized the lack of online access to government services, problems with home internet, and the limited availability of cashless payments. In addition, 57% of expats reported that they found it difficult to make friends among Germans.
Turkey ranked 29th, placing last in terms of working conditions, wages, and economic stability. About 61% of respondents gave a negative assessment of the state of the Turkish economy, and 34% reported an annual income of less than $12,000 before taxes.
Fifty-eight percent of expats are satisfied with life in Turkey, 14% intend to leave the country within the next year, and only 13% plan to stay permanently.
The bottom ten also included Switzerland, Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Eight of the ten countries at the bottom of the ranking are in Europe. However, Austria ranked fifth in quality of life, Switzerland eighth, the Czech Republic 13th, and Sweden 15th. This suggests that a low overall ranking is often linked not to infrastructure or safety, but to the high cost of living, bureaucracy, and difficulties with social integration.
According to Maxim Urakin, founder of the Experts Club think tank, the study’s results should not be viewed as a universal ranking of countries’ levels of development.
“The ranking does not show which country is objectively richer or better governed, but rather how easily a specific foreigner can integrate into local daily life. Developed infrastructure and high salaries can go hand in hand with expensive housing, complex bureaucracy, and social exclusivity.
At the same time, less affluent countries may score higher thanks to affordable living costs, simple paperwork, and a welcoming attitude toward newcomers,” Urakin noted.
He added that when choosing a country to move to, it is necessary to analyze immigration laws, the tax system, the labor market, healthcare, education, and real estate prices separately.
InterNations emphasizes that the ranking is based on the subjective satisfaction of respondents, rather than on a comparison of official statistics. It does not take into account a number of important factors, including international taxation and childcare services, and the safety rating reflects respondents’ personal perceptions rather than the actual crime rate.
Astarta, an agro-industrial holding and Ukraine’s largest sugar producer, increased its product sales by 34.3% in April–June 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, reaching 266,640 metric tons, according to data published by the holding on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
According to the data, due to lower prices for sugar and milk, revenue growth was more modest—at 16.9%: in total, the company sold 4.58 billion UAH worth of its main products in the second quarter of this year, compared to 3.91 billion UAH in the second quarter of 2025.
In particular, sugar sales increased by 28% in volume terms in the second quarter of this year—to 92,600 metric tons—while the average selling price fell by 14.3%—to 20,770 UAH per metric ton.
Astarta’s sales volumes of wheat and corn during the reporting period amounted to 62.03 thousand metric tons and 3.18 thousand metric tons, respectively, at average prices of 9.90 thousand UAH per metric ton and 27.45 thousand UAH per metric ton, respectively, whereas the company did not sell these products in the second quarter of last year.
Corn sales, on the other hand, fell by 19.1% to 32.39 thousand metric tons, while the price rose by only 3.9% to 10.02 thousand UAH per metric ton.
Sales of soybean oil in the second quarter of 2026 fell by 27.8% compared to the same period in 2025—to 8.48 thousand metric tons—as the price of this product rose by 13.9%—to 52.28 thousand UAH per metric ton. Sales of soybean meal also fell by 15.8%—to 37.11 thousand metric tons—as the price rose by 23.1%—to 18.76 thousand UAH per metric ton.
The agricultural holding’s milk sales in April–June 2026 increased by 2.6% to 30.84 thousand metric tons, but the price of this product fell by 14.8% to 15.79 thousand UAH per metric ton.
Taking these figures into account, Astarta increased its total sales volume of core products for the first half of the year by 32.3% compared to the same period in 2025, reaching 656.28 thousand metric tons. Due to lower prices for sugar and milk, revenue growth was also lower—by 20.2%: in total, the company generated 10.95 billion UAH in revenue from its core products, compared to 9.11 billion UAH in the first half of 2025.
In June 2026, Express Insurance paid out more than 11 million UAH to customers for claims related to military risks, which is 26 times higher than the figure for the same period in 2025.
According to the insurer’s website, the company settled 26 insurance claims in June of this year, more than five times the figure for the same period last year. Meanwhile, the average payout per claim also increased more than fivefold—to 424,100 UAH.
The largest number of insurance claims related to military risks in June was settled in Kyiv, which correlates with the increased intensity of airstrikes on the capital over the past few months.
The largest payout during the reporting period was an insurance claim of more than 1.2 million UAH for a 2024 Mercedes-Benz damaged as a result of military operations.
In total, during the first half of 2026, Express Insurance settled 50 insurance claims related to military risks, totaling 15.5 million UAH—nine times more than during the same period in 2025.
“The trend in payouts in this area reflects the reality facing Ukrainian car owners. Damage to vehicles resulting from military operations is no longer an isolated occurrence but an integral part of insurance practice. And while many drivers previously viewed coverage for military risks in a comprehensive auto insurance policy as an optional feature, today’s insurance claims statistics convincingly demonstrate its practical necessity,” the insurer’s statement notes.
Express Insurance LLC was founded in 2008 with the participation of “Ukravto Group,” a leader in the Ukrainian automotive market. The company specializes in auto insurance. The company has more than 300 insurance agents throughout Ukraine and is actively expanding its network of partner service stations. To date, the number of partner service stations exceeds 100.
According to Serbian Economist, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reaffirmed that the country’s accession to the European Union remains Belgrade’s strategic goal and expressed hope to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a bilateral visit.
Vucic made these remarks in an interview with Rainer Novak, editor-in-chief of the Austrian newspaper Die Presse, published on July 23.
“The European path is our strategic goal. There are no other paths for us. This means that we must cooperate closely with all candidate countries,” said the Serbian president.
According to him, it is in the European Union that he sees his country’s future.
Speaking about relations with Ukraine, Vučić stated that he sees no reason to abandon cooperation with Kyiv. He reiterated that Serbia supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and provides it with financial, medical, energy, and humanitarian aid.
“I hope we will be able to welcome him to Serbia on a bilateral basis,” said Vučić, referring to Zelenskyy.
Vucic also announced that Serbia is ready to participate in the reconstruction of one of Ukraine’s smaller cities. In addition, the parties are discussing the development of a road and rail route from Trieste through Croatia, Serbia, Romania, and Moldova to Ukraine.
The Serbian president had previously reaffirmed his support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, but did not sign the final declaration, which condemned Russian aggression and called for increased sanctions pressure on Moscow.
Commenting on criticism of cooperation with Kyiv, Vučić stated that Ukraine had not taken any action against Serbia and had not recognized Kosovo’s independence.
“We cannot oppose someone just because someone else opposes them. I see no reason why we should not cooperate with Ukraine,” he said.
At the same time, Vučić emphasized the need to take into account Serbia’s relations with Asian countries and Russia and reaffirmed the country’s military neutrality.
Serbia was granted EU candidate status in March 2012, and membership negotiations began in January 2014. In recent years, the opening of new negotiation chapters has effectively stalled, despite Belgrade’s statements that it is ready to meet the technical criteria for membership.
PJSC “Respect Insurance Company” (Odesa) collected UAH 52.641 million in net premiums in January–June 2026, which is 33.8% more than in the same period of 2025.
According to the company’s interim report, published in the disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), its gross premiums for this period totaled 52.781 million UAH (+33%, respectively). A total of 140,000 UAH was ceded to reinsurers (2.1 times less).
During this period, the company paid out 5.548 million UAH, which is 0.7% less than during the same period a year ago. Meanwhile, administrative expenses totaled 62,000 UAH, which is 4.3 times less than in the first six months of 2025.
Respect Insurance Company’s operating profit for the first half of the year amounted to 17.129 million UAH (3.2 times higher), and net profit was 18.834 million UAH (2.7 times higher).
According to data from the National Securities and Stock Market Commission as of the first quarter of 2026, LLC “Asset Management Company YUG-Invest” (the “Industrial” Closed-End Undiversified Venture Capital Investment Fund) held 67.935% of the insurer’s shares, “Ulyublene Misto” LLC held 9.646%, and “Bereg Stroy Service 2017” LLC held 9.242%.
“Respect” Insurance Company has been operating in the Ukrainian market since March 1995. The company’s main risk portfolio is related to the transportation sector.
Shareholders of PJSC “Ukrainian Fire and Insurance Company” (Kyiv) approved at an extraordinary meeting on July 21, 2026, the amount of annual dividends for common registered shares, based on the results of operations in 2025, totaling 40 million UAH, or 2.50 UAH per share.
As reported by the company in the disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), the decision to pay dividends was adopted by the annual remote general meeting of shareholders (minutes dated May 8, 2026).
The dividends are planned to be paid in several installments (proportionally to all shareholders within a total 6-month period from the date of the decision). The first installment, in the amount of 16 million UAH, is due by August 5, 2026; the second installment, in the amount of 16 million UAH, is due by October 13, 2026; and the third installment, in the amount of 8 million UAH, is due by November 6, 2026.
PJSC “UPSK” was registered in 1993. It specializes, in particular, in motor vehicle insurance, financial risk insurance, travel insurance, property insurance, cargo insurance, and baggage insurance.
According to the company, Oleksandr Mikhailov owns 99.999% of its shares.
According to data from the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), the company ranks 16th among Ukraine’s non-life insurers in terms of premiums collected in 2025.
