An Air New Zealand Plane Flies Over Mount Victoria
IN PHOTO: An Air New Zealand plane flies over houses in Mount Victoria as it approaches Wellington airport, October 7, 2011. Reuters/Marcos Brindicci

New Zealand has been named the best place to raise a child in the Raising Children Abroad annual league table. According to the HSBC Expat Explorer Survey, New Zealand topped the list followed by South Africa, Germany and Japan. The country has performed well in terms of a child's health and well-being.

In the Expat Survey, 87 percent of expat parents in New Zealand have noticed improved child safety in the country. They also observed their children's health and well-being improved since moving to New Zealand. Expat parents said the country's diverse landscape, good weather and scenery are some of the reasons why they like living in New Zealand.

The survey also found that New Zealand has a better environment than the expats' home country. About 73 percent of expats rated the country's environment higher than the 33 percent global average. The survey said this makes New Zealand an ideal destination to raise active and health children. Most of the expats, or about 87 percent, found that their children enjoy a better quality of life in New Zealand. Six out of 10 parents said their children had become more well-rounded since living in the country.

The HSBC Expat Explorer Survey also revealed Switzerland as the best country where expats had found a high-quality and well-balanced lifestyle. Singapore came in second followed by China, Germany and Bahrain. Expats weighed in on countries based on their earnings, lifestyle, raising children and cost of living.

Furthermore, Expats found Switzerland as the best destination to pursue a rewarding career while maintaining a good quality of life. The survey said a quarter of foreigners were earning more than $200,000 in Switzerland while 51 percent found better work-life balance.

Meanwhile, Asia was identified as the best place for expats to earn money and have a higher disposable income. Expats in countries like China earn more than $250,000 annually than others in Europe. Expats also named Thailand as the most effective country to live in based on their daily experiences. Thailand and Vietnam were noted by expats as having the cheapest cost of recreation than other countries in the world.