The city state has topped a survey of the ideal destinations for ex-patriates, based on living standards, financial opportunities and accommodation.

The research, which was based on the opinions of 2,155 ex-patriates living in four continents, also asked how easy arrivals had found it to integrate into their new surroundings, how much they were enjoying their new lifestyle and how their children had adjusted to the relocation.

The United Arab Emirates and the United States are the next best choices for emigrants, according to the survey, which was done by the bank HSBC International.

However there was bad news for destinations closer to home. Jersey was ranked only the 15th most desirable places to live, with apparently poor accommodation and a low level of luxury on offer to ex-pats.

And the channel island only just propped up the mainland, with the United Kingdom finishing in 14th place. The UK was found to be the most expensive country for new foreigners to find accommodation, with more than 85 per cent of respondents saying that their living costs had increased after moving here. Even France did better, finishing 13th.

Hong Kong was found to be the place to go for ex-pats seeking to boost their pay packets. Almost half of all foreigners living there said they were now earning more than £100,000 a year, with those in the financial and management sectors claiming to be the most handsomely rewarded.

For those moving abroad and able to afford it, the report also provided details of the most luxurious locations. Based on countries’ access to private healthcare, opportunities to own more than one property and availability of domestic staff, the United Arab Emirates was rated most highly, followed by Singapore and India.

The top 15 countries for expatriates:

1. Singapore

2. United Arab Emirates

3. United States

4. Belgium

5. Hong Kong

6. Germany

7. Netherlands

8. Canada

9. India

10. Australia

11. China

12. Spain

13. France

14. United Kingdom

15. Jersey