The world's friendliest countries have been determined by a new report from digital financial services company Remitly. The company surveyed 3,000 participants from 27 countries on the “Agreeableness” trait of the popular Big Five personality traits test. The average scores of each country's residents were calculated, and the higher the average, the friendlier the country was deemed to be.
Traveling to a new country can be nerve-wracking, from understanding basic language to navigating public transportation.
One of the things that can ease the stress of being in a new place is meeting friendly locals who will welcome you and help you if you get lost.
Digital financial services company Remitly recently determined the friendliest countries in the world in a new report. In April, the company surveyed 3,000 participants from 27 countries on the “Agreeableness” dimension of the popular Big Five personality test. Participants took a simplified version of the “Agreeableness” section of the test and were given a score from 1 to 40, with higher scores signifying higher agreeableness. The scores of each country's residents were averaged, and the higher the average, the friendlier the country.
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People who are judged to have an Agreeable personality are friendly, caring, and empathetic. This is the type of person who prioritizes interpersonal relationships, treats others warmly, and likes to start conversations. These are all good traits if a traveler wants to feel comfortable in a new destination.
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“Experiences with locals are a big part of staying in a new place, whether that's getting insider information on the best places to eat or building lasting connections and lifelong friendships,” Ollie Cassell, head of growth marketing at Remitly, said in an email to USA Today. “The friendliness of the people you interact with can make or break your experience.”
Read on to find out the top 10 friendliest countries according to Remitly.
10. Belgium 32.5
Belgium is ranked as one of the friendliest countries for travelers. Not only does this European country have progressive social policies and a low crime rate, but meeting locals is also easy as they speak English fluently.
9. Estonia, 32.58
Home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites and more than 1,000 islands, Estonia is home to friendly locals who are respectful and polite to foreigners: a 2019 survey of around 14,000 Estonians found that most residents value safety and openness.
8. Germany 32.66
Germany has a lot of history and culture to discover, and its friendly residents make it a popular European destination. Germans aren't known for small talk, but they will help you out when you need them.
7. Canada 32.84
Known for their kindness and fondness for saying “sorry,” Canadians also ranked highly in friendliness in the Remitly report, making Canada a welcoming destination for travelers.
6. Australia 33.13
With friendly, laid-back locals, Australia is rated as one of the friendliest countries for tourists, so visiting Australia should be a pleasant experience.
5. Sweden 33.30
Known for having friendly and polite people, Sweden comes in as the fifth friendliest country – no surprise there, as the country is often ranked as one of the happiest places in the world.
4. Mexico 33.47
Known for having strong family ties and being proud of their heritage, Mexicans are generally friendly and hospitable to travelers, leading the Central American country to rank fourth in the report.
3. Croatia, 33.50
Ranked third in our list of the friendliest countries, Croatia is extremely welcoming to travelers, and Croatians are known for being polite and sociable, so you'll feel comfortable asking locals for directions.
2. Greece 33.71
Greeks live by the value of “philoxenia”, which comes from ancient Greek mythology and means “friend of foreigners”. It basically means that the country is particularly welcoming and hospitable to tourists.
1. South Africa 34.63
South Africans are known for being friendly, so travelers can expect to encounter plenty of greetings and conversations with locals. The African country speaks 11 official languages, including English and Afrikaans, making it easy to interact with residents.
Kathleen Wong is a Hawaii-based travel writer for USA TODAY. She can be reached at kwong@usatoday.com.
