Where Would Russians Like To Live In 2021?
3,000 Russians from 522 locations named the best countries to move to and live in. The results take into account the overall ranking of countries and the respondents' choice depending on their profession.
Author and editor of articles about investment citizenship and residency
The ranking was compiled by the Research Center of the Superjob.ru portal. The center regularly conducts sociological surveys and marketing research. The surveys are open to all registered users of the portal.
How Superjob identified where Russians prefer to live
From 24 August to 7 September 2021, Superjob users answered one question: "If there were no coronavirus restrictions, and you had the opportunity to live in any country in the world, which country would you choose?"
41% of respondents would prefer to stay in their home country, Russia. In second place in popularity among Russians is the United States, with Canada in third place. Rounding out the top five most popular destinations are Italy and Switzerland.
41% of respondents
Want to live in Russia
Countries the Russians would like to live in
Country
Percentage of respondents who selected a country
Russia
41%
USA
7%
Canada
4%
Italy
4%
Switzerland
4%
Germany
3%
Spain
2%
Australia
2%
Sweden
2%
France
1%
Turkey
1%
South Korea
1%
New Zeland
1%
Norway
1%
Greece
1%
Czech Republic
1%
Finland
1%
Iceland
1%
Thailand
1%
UK
1%
UAE
1%
Cyprus
1%
China
1%
🌍 Other countries: Japan, Brazil, Monaco, Austria, Montenegro
6%
Difficult to answer
11%
The USA attracts businessmen and skilled professionals from a variety of fields. The country is sixth in the world in the overall Ease of Doing Business Index and fourth in the ease of obtaining credit to start and grow a company.
American schools and universities are considered some of the best in the world: their diplomas are listed in over 90 countries. The US is second only to the UK in quality of education and international career opportunities.
Among the most popular cities for immigrants are San Francisco and New York. San Francisco is the world’s technology hub, home to the famous Silicon Valley. New York is among the most comfortable cities to live in and is also home to most of the offices of Global Fortune 500 companies.
Canada has a high standard of living. The country regularly ranks among the world’s top 10 in terms of economic sustainability and economic freedom, quality of health care and security. Canada has no global income or inheritance taxes, but there are business opportunities geared towards the North American market.
Canada has a tolerant attitude towards newcomers: about a fifth of its population is made up of immigrants.
Italy attracts Russians with its warm Mediterranean climate, beautiful nature, opportunities for active and relaxing holidays, delicious cuisine, rich history and culture. And Italy is also one of the best countries for retirement living.
Switzerland leads the world in quality of life in 2021, and its inhabitants are among the top 5 happiest people in the world according to the UN.Switzerland has a stable economy and its banks are among the safest in the world. The purchasing power of the Swiss is 22% higher than in other countries. Salaries are also higher in the country: the average income of foreign employees in Switzerland is $203,000 a year. But not every professional can get a job, and the cost of living in Switzerland is higher than in other European countries.
Los Angeles is also one of the top ten cities in the world in terms of livability by Resonance Consultancy
Where Russian specialists want to move to
The choice of countries to move to differ depending on the respondent’s profession. Accountants would prefer Germany, doctors to the USA, Switzerland and Austria, salespeople to Australia, and programmers would not mind moving to the Czech Republic.
Top countries to which people from different professions want to move
Respondent's profession
Country
Percentage of respondents who selected a country
Chief accountant
Germany
13%
Australia
6%
Switzerland
6%
Economist
USA
20%
Australia
7%
Switzerland
7%
Doctor
USA
23%
Switzerland
5%
Austria
5%
Programmer
USA
15%
Czech Republic
7%
System administrator
Canada
19%
USA
13%
Cyprus
13%
Engineering Technician
USA
6%
Germany
5%
Teacher
USA
8%
Italy
7%
Czech Republic
7%
Seller
USA
6%
Australia
5%
UK
5%
Administrator
USA
7%
Italy
7%
Greece
7%
How to move to live in another country
In order to move to another country, a Russian must obtain a residence permit or citizenship.
A residence permit is usually granted to those who go to university or get a job in another country. It is also possible to move in with relatives and obtain a residence permit through family reunification or marriage with a citizen of the chosen country.
Citizenship is obtained by naturalization. For this purpose, you have to live in another country for several years and pass a language, culture and history test.
Wealthy people can obtain a residence permit or citizenship by investment: if they contribute to a public fund, buy real estate or bonds, or open a business in their chosen country.
USA. Investors who are willing to open a business in the US can obtain an EB‑5 immigration visa. The minimum investment amount is $500,000. If the business is successful, the investor will receive a green card after two years and US citizenship after another five years.
Citizens of Grenada enjoy the simpler and quicker alternative of obtaining an E-2 business visa. It is not available to Russians. E-2 visa is also issued for setting up a business in the USA, but it is enough to invest about $200,000. E-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa, but it is issued for five years with the possibility of extension. E-2 visa holders can live and conduct business in the US without restrictions.
Russians can first obtain a Grenada passport by investment and then an E‑2 visa for the US.
To obtain Grenada citizenship, an investor makes a non-refundable contribution to the state fund — from $150,000. Another option is to buy a share in an approved real estate project for at least $220,000.
Evgeny obtained Grenada citizenship by investment in order to open a branch of his pharmaceutical company and move to the US. Read full investor story
European Union and the United Kingdom. Citizenship of any country in the region allows you to move to live, work, do business and study in Germany, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic.
Malta grants citizenship to investors who pass a rigorous due diligence check and then buy or rent property in the country. The applicant first obtains a residence permit in the country and can apply for citizenship after a year or three years. The minimum investment amount is €690,000.
Maltese citizens not only have the right to live and work in any EU country, but also to travel visa-free to the USA, Australia and Canada.
Residence permits by investment can be obtained in Switzerland, Austria, Greece, Great Britain, Portugal and Cyprus. The Portuguese program differs in that an investor can apply for Portuguese citizenship as early as five years after receiving a residence permit by investment
Immigrant Invest helps investors obtain a second citizenship or residence permit by investment. If you want to become a citizen or resident of another country, seek advice from experts in investment programs.
