Viet Nam has been ranked 8^th out of 191 countries in a survey that asked expats how happy they were in their adopted countries, according to a report from Business Insider.

Foreigners are seen relaxing on a bench by Ha Noi's iconic Hoan Kiem Lake. Photo by VnExpress Photo Contest/Nguyen Ngoc Luan

“The popular expat destination for Western Europeans scores highly because you can live pretty decadently on a low wage (by Western standards),” the news site recently reported, quoting a new survey conducted by InterNations, the world’s largest network for people who live and work abroad.

The country also boasts incredible scenery, activities and places for foreigners to explore, Business Insider added.

InterNations, an expat networking website, surveyed 14,300 people representing 174 nationalities who had left their country to live in 191 countries or territories.

The respondents were asked to rate 43 different aspects of life abroad on a scale of 1-7 with one of the sub-indexes looking at their personal happiness, the news site said.

“Some of the countries that made the top slots showed that the happiest expats across the globe were not necessarily earning a huge amount, nor were they in places that had the best infrastructure,” Business Insider said.

In Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Thailand were also ranked high on the list at 4^th and 7^th, respectively.

Last year, HSBC ranked Viet Nam as the 19^th best destination for a successful expat career thanks to good work-life balance and employment benefits.

Viet Nam also made into the top five of world's happiest countries, according to the Happy Planet Index by the U.K.-based New Economics Foundation.

(Source: VnExpress/International)