Data Sources
Complete list of data sources used for country data and indices
All data on this platform comes from reliable public sources. We don't create our own indices — we use internationally recognized indices as our foundation.
A green badge shows which edition of a source the country data currently reflects. Sources without a badge have not been refreshed since the date on each country record, and may lag the latest published edition.
Some fields have no published index behind them and are our own editorial ratings: Asian food access, work-life balance, political spectrum, immigrant acceptance, healthcare quality, Thai diaspora size, Thai temple counts, each country's main destination cities, and the median salary figures by occupation. We label them here rather than imply a source that does not exist. The salary figures are also grouped: occupations we cannot price separately share the nearest bucket, so hospitality is currently quoted at trades rates rather than at a number we invented for it. Work visa difficulty is no longer our judgement: 45 countries are classified against a published rubric — whether a labour-market test applies, the salary threshold against the national median, whether a quota or lottery binds, and whether any route exists that needs no employer — read from statute and government portals, then re-checked by an independent reviewer. PR and citizenship durations are counted on one basis for every country: total years from first arrival.
Safety & Peace
Global Peace Index
Institute for Economics & Peace
Measures peacefulness of each country, covering conflict, safety, and militarization.
View sourceDemocracy & Freedom
Democracy Index
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
Democracy index based on electoral process, civil liberties, and political culture.
View sourceFreedom in the World
Freedom House
Total freedom score 0-100; the source for our freedom-of-expression rating.
View sourceWorld Press Freedom Index
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Ranks press freedom in each country.
View sourceCorruption
Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)
Transparency International
Corruption perception index, scored 0-100 (100 = cleanest).
View sourceLGBTQ+ Rights
ILGA World Database
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
Database of laws and policies related to LGBTQ+ worldwide.
View sourceGender Equality
Global Gender Gap Report
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Ranks gender equality across 146 countries in 4 dimensions: economy, education, health, and political empowerment.
View sourceCost of Living
Numbeo Cost of Living
Numbeo
Cost of living database — rent, food, and city-to-city comparison.
View sourceNumbeo Crime Index
Numbeo
Crime index from user surveys — night safety, theft, and violence. Used in safety formula v3.2.
View sourceVisa & Passport
Henley Passport Index
Henley & Partners
Ranks passport power by number of visa-free destinations.
View sourceThai Community Abroad
Thai Nationals Abroad Statistics
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Number of Thai nationals registered with embassies in each country.
View sourceCulture
Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions
Hofstede Insights
6 cultural dimensions used to compare cultural differences between countries.
View sourceEnglish Proficiency
EF English Proficiency Index (EPI)
EF Education First
English proficiency index of the population in each country.
View sourceHealthcare
Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index
The Lancet / IHME
Healthcare access and quality index, scored 0-100.
View sourceVisa & Immigration
Immigration laws by country
Immigration authorities of each country
PR pathway, citizenship, processing time, and key requirements. Verified against 2025-2026 laws of each country.
View sourceNatural Disasters
World Risk Index (WRI)
Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft / Ruhr University Bochum
Natural disaster risk index — combines exposure (earthquakes, floods, storms) with vulnerability and coping capacity. Score 0-100 (higher = riskier).
View sourceJob listings
Remotive
Remotive
Remote job listings, redistributable under their API terms, which require both a link back and naming them as the source.
View sourceHimalayas
Himalayas
Remote job listings, free to use with attribution and a visible link back.
View sourceVisa sponsor registers
Register of licensed sponsors: workers
UK Home Office
The 124,954 UK employers licensed to sponsor work visas. Employer names on listings are matched against it; a match says the employer holds a licence, not that a given role will sponsor.
View sourceOpenbaar register erkende referenten
Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND)
The Netherlands' 12,623 recognised sponsors, used the same way. These are the only two countries that publish such a register — an employer elsewhere without the mark is not one that will not relocate you.
View sourceClimate
Climate Data (Average Monthly Temperatures)
World Meteorological Organization / Weather Atlas
Average high and low monthly temperatures for capital/major cities in each country.
View sourceNote: Some data may be delayed based on the publishing cycle of the original source. If you find incorrect data, please report it on the Report Data Issues