Austria, a hostile country

Austria was again voted the most hostile country by expatriates. But where do downturned corners of your mouth come from – and how do you manage not to take them personally?

We did it again. Austria was voted the most hostile country in the world. Not for the first time. With the “Expat Insider Study 2023”, expat network InterNations asked foreign workers for the tenth time where people are friendliest and where it works best to settle down. In the first, Austria is in last place, in terms of acclimatization we reached at least the penultimate place – ahead of Kuwait. Vienna was also recently voted the most hostile city, but that doesn’t stop anyone from picking the city as the most liveable in the world at the same time (Vienna always does well in the rankings).

You don’t have to be an expat to experience Austrian hostility. Just walk carefully around the city. A smile is rarely enough for someone – and if it is, then they definitely want something. This becomes clear after a short stay abroad. It usually doesn’t take long before you’re attacked with a passive-aggressive “like words a” after you’re not paying attention and you know you’re home again.