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Want to pack your bags and start a new life overseas? You probably should stay put – as it turns out, plenty of people want to immigrate to Australia. From world-class healthcare and strong earning potential to beautiful beaches and laid-back living, Australia has officially landed among the best countries in the world to migrate to in 2026. We have a sneaky suspicion it might have something to do with all those influencers claiming their biggest daily dilemma is whether to have a flat white before or after a swim – but facts are facts.
To create the Immigration Index 2026, Remitly compared 82 countries by analysing 34 metrics across 16 categories that matter most to people considering a move overseas. Each country was scored on factors such as healthcare, employment opportunities, safety, quality of life, environmental quality, public transport and immigrant communities. Switzerland claimed the top spot this year, followed by Iceland and Luxembourg, while Australia came in fourth – jumping six places from last year – ahead of Germany, Ireland and the United States.
Australia’s strong healthcare system, growing immigrant communities, outdoor lifestyle and quality of life are key reasons people continue to choose the Land Down Under. In addition to landing fourth overall, Australia ranked second for healthcare once again (thank you, Medicare). It also came fourth for environmental quality, sixth for family-friendliness, sixth for earning potential (boasting the world's second-highest minimum wage), eighth for immigrant community size and tenth for happiness. Of course, it’s not all sunshine and surfboards. Australia didn’t make the top rankings for affordability – yes, cozzie livs is still hitting hard.
The 10 best countries to migrate to in 2026:
- Switzerland
- Iceland
- Luxembourg
- Australia
- Germany
- Ireland
- United States
- Denmark
- Norway
- Spain