NZ an Appealing Choice for 30-Something Singaporeans

New Zealand is becoming an ever more popular choice for Singaporeans in their early 30s looking to emigrate, choosing our country for its space, value for money, healthcare and cost of living.

Freelance journalist Surekha Yadav looks at the trend in an opinion piece for the Malay Mail.

“Both are developed countries, both have four to five million people, neither started off as any great shakes but have come a long way,” Yadav begins.

“New Zealand, of course, offers a lot more space (268,000km2 vs 700km2) and we have a bit more money (total GDP SG US$300 billion or RM1,078 billion, NZ US$230 billion, per capita SG $55,000 NZ $45,000).

“This is why I was unsurprised when yet another friend came out to announce last weekend that she and her husband were seriously exploring the possibility of migrating to NZ because as puts it, ‘I want a house and garden.’

“It is these sort of trade-offs that increasingly defines (more serious) conversations among my peers — Singaporeans in their early 30s looking to start families, plan futures, even thinking about retirement.

“So, I thought it might be interesting to run an (unscientific) head to head comparison. This is particularly easy as the New Zealand dollar and Singapore dollar are basically 1:1.”

Original article by Surekha A. Yadav, The Malay Mail Online, May 3, 2015.