Finding friends in some countries is easy, while in others it can be unexpectedly difficult, especially for newcomers and expats.
The 6 Best Countries – Mexico
An overwhelming majority of newcomers rank Mexico as the easiest country in the world to make local and expat friends. Warmth, open hospitality, and interest in others are central pillars of Mexican culture that create natural conversations with strangers immediately. You’ll easily be invited to someone’s home for dinner or a local celebration within your first few days of meeting them.
Costa Rica
Thanks to Costa Rica’s Pura Vida (literally translated to pure life) mentality, social interactions are filled with an extraordinarily high degree of friendliness and chill vibes. Many newcomers have said the people are exceptionally kind, making it easy to end up with a mix of local and international friends. You’ll never feel lonely when you step outside.
Panama
With high levels of organization and hospitality coupled with one of the most laid-back populations in the world, Panama is internationally known as a place where it’s easy to fit in. Panama is a popular destination for travelers and retirees, so Panamanians are used to integrating new people into their lives.
Colombia
People in Colombia are so friendly and expressive. It’s almost too easy to meet new people. You will be stopped on the street to chat, people will offer to help you with no reason at all, and they will introduce you to all of their friends. You’ll find that friends you make will turn into lifelong friendships.
Philippines
Known for their hospitality worldwide, Filipinos have a deeply ingrained collectivistic culture where they make visitors feel at home. Filipinos also have a high level of English proficiency nationwide, so the language barrier that impedes friendships elsewhere isn’t much of an issue. They make you feel like you’re part of their big family from the get-go, even if you’re in a big city or a small town by the sea.
Indonesia
Friendliness to strangers is mandated by the widely held cultural value system of gotong royong (mutual help and cooperation). Everywhere throughout Indonesia, people are friendly, warm, smile a lot, and will try to strike up conversations with you. It’s very hard to feel socially isolated. Everyone moves at a slower pace, which allows time for informal, spontaneous coffee meet-ups and neighbourly community socials.
The 6 Worst Countries – Denmark
Worldwide, Denmark ranks as one of the places where it is hardest to make local friends. Danes are incredibly courteous and speak great English, but they tend to cement their friend groups at a very early age and in university, so there isn’t much room to rise through the ranks. It can take years of trying to turn a polite, friendly acquaintance into someone close.
Sweden
Sweden is one of those cultures that values privacy and personal space very highly. Visitors often feel they get a cold or unwelcoming reception when, in fact, the Swedish are protecting their personal space. Initiating random contact with others or trying to talk with someone you just met on the bus would be rude. Making friends means investing lots of scheduled time together, with very little room for spontaneity.
Kuwait
A deeply private local culture paired with sharp social stratification makes Kuwait a notoriously difficult landscape for forging new connections. The local population tends to socialize exclusively within tightly knit family networks and established tribal lineages.
Newcomers find that their social interactions remain confined strictly to other expats, as breaking into native circles is exceptionally rare. Newcomers will notice that socialising tends to only be with other foreigners. It is very rare that one inserts themselves into the local scene.
Switzerland
Privacy, order and discretion are valued above almost everything else in Switzerland. As a result, social life is reserved. Work life, home life and friends life stay completely separate.
So unless you work closely with someone, it is unlikely you will meet outside of work during the weekend. Although it does take a long time to gain the trust of a Swiss person, their friendships are very loyal.
Japan
Although the Japanese have earned a worldwide reputation for being extremely polite and courteous in public, it can be incredibly difficult to form close personal relationships with them from the outside.
There’s an invisible wall between the Honne (someone’s real feelings and opinions) and Tatemae (public image) that many foreigners never manage to penetrate. Friendships tend to be very closed-off, and usually you need to be introduced by someone both you and they trust.
Finland
Finns themselves are some of the nicest people: they are incredibly polite, honest, and speak great English. However, Finns also culturally value privacy, personal space, and silence to an extreme.
There is almost no small talk with strangers, and puncturing their serene exterior to forge a genuine and lasting friendship takes sheer diligence.
Sources: The following source was consulted in the preparation of this article.
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