Philippines world's 8th 'friendliest country': HSBC survey

Masks for the Maskara Festival in Bacolod, Philippines | Mylot

The Philippines is the 8th 'friendliest country' in the world, according to a survey by international banking and financial services company HSBC.

HSBC conducted the Expat Explorer Survey between May and July last year where 3,385 expatriates living in 100 countries were asked to rate their host countries in terms of ability to befriend locals, success in learning the local language, capacity for integrating themselves into the community, and ease in which they fit into the new culture.

“As the largest global survey of expats, Expat Explorer allows us to capture invaluable insights into expat life and how it differs from country to country, continent to continent and from an expats’ home country of origin,” HSBC marketing head Lisa Wood said. “We want to be a business that truly understands its customers so that we can ensure our products and services meet their needs effectively.”

Forbes.com which reported the results of the survey said the Philippines "is friendly on wallets, too: 47% report an increase in access to luxuries, including domestic staff, swimming pools and owning properties."

Check out the "Top 15 Friendliest Countries in the World" below:

1. New Zealand
2. Australia
3. South Africa
4. Canada
5. United States
6. Turkey
7. United Kingdom
8. Philippines
9. Spain
10. Malaysia
11. Brazil
12. Italy
13. Mexico
14. Singapore
15. France