Scandinavia is a part of the world that includes the countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. These countries are fascinating in that they truly have their very own unique culture and history in Europe. Their societies have developed in many different directions than other European nations. What makes these countries also unique is that they have some of the highest standards of living in the world due to their vast beauty, high quality of life, and equal access to education.
That being said, of the countries that are in Scandinavia, Norway has been continuously nominated by the United Nations as the country with one of the best standards of living in the world and the best standard of living in Scandinavia.
Consider the following reasons why Norway would be the ideal choice as an expat looking for a country with one of the highest standards of living in the world:
Why Norway?
Long and Healthy Lifestyle:
Norway has a very healthy lifestyle because they offer accessible healthcare to their citizens along with a wide range of paid vacation. This accessible healthcare is of world class standards, which gives the citizens of Norway access to state of the art facilities, which increases their life expectancy a great deal. Something else that greatly helps Norwegian citizens is the possibility of having extended maternity and paternity leave. Across the board, Scandinavian countries greatly recognizes the importance of allowing their employees the proper time off from work. What this does as a result is that it creates a healthier lifestyle for the population that is longer.
Another benefit to Norway is that the country has some of the most gorgeous natural scenery in the world. For this reason, the scenery allows for many different healthy outdoor activities. This, combined with the clean air, allows Norway to give its population the potential for outdoor exercise. The culture of outdoor exercise naturally has evolved into more family time. This family time affects the long and healthy lifestyle that the citizens can experience as citizens of Norway.
Access to Education:
What really sets Norway apart is their access to education. The reason for this is that even their public schools have a very high level of education. What this encourages is a population that is more educated and having the opportunity to study in universities. Having a more educated population makes it possible to have a higher professional standard for jobs. The higher professional standard for jobs is a major asset to Norwegian citizens because it increases their overall standard of living as a population. The way that the Norwegian government has invested in education is a major asset to their country that will only foster future growth and continue the high standard of living that the country offers its citizens. Lastly, the level of English in Norway is quite high, which makes it a market for foreign commerce as well as a land of opportunity for foreign expats who have a high command of the English language. The English language found in the Norwegian schools makes their schools quite competitive on an international level.
Decent Standard of Living:
Aside from the education and long and healthy lifestyle, Norway overall offers a very high standard of living to their citizens. The reason for this is that their cities are clean and well maintained. They have sensational air quality in Norway, great social programs, and an overall strong national identity. Even if an expat were to move to Norway and make the proper salary, they would absolutely have a very high standard of living while living in Norway. The key to enjoying Norway’s high standard of living is going to be related to their salary. Even though Norway has a very high standard of living, they have a very high cost of living. If the expat or local has the proper salary, then they can live quite well in Norway; however, if they do not, Norway will be a difficult country to enjoy properly. You can do a quick currency exchange rate test to see how your currency matches with the Norwegian Krone.
Final Remarks
All in all, Norway is a wonderful choice for expat families to consider. If the expat family is able to have a job setup before their arrival with the requisite salary level to life well, Norway offers one of the highest standards of living in the world. The weather aside, the country has unparalleled beauties for expat families to explore. For those expats with children, there are absolutely schools to integrate their children that possess a high level of English. All of these factors combine to create a very high standard of living that has a close proximity to other European countries for travel. Thus, it is highly recommended to consider Norway when contemplating how to live well in other parts of the world as an expat.