Transparency

Data Sources & Methodology

SettleRadar aggregates data from 20+ authoritative international organizations to provide the most comprehensive, unbiased relocation intelligence available. Every data point is traceable to a primary source.

Editorial Independence

SettleRadar does not accept payments from governments, tourism boards, or relocation companies in exchange for favorable data presentation. All rankings and comparisons are derived solely from the primary data sources listed below. Some affiliate links exist for services like insurance providers - these never influence country scores or rankings.

Data Currency & Limitations

Most quantitative indicators are updated annually following the publication cycles of their source organizations (typically World Bank data lags by 1-2 years). AI-generated lifestyle summaries are refreshed quarterly. Always verify visa requirements and entry conditions with official government sources before making relocation decisions.

Data Sources by Category

Economic & Tax Data

World Bank Open Data
Updated: AnnualLicense: CC BY 4.0
Tax burden (% of commercial profits)GDP per capitaInflation rateGovernment expenditure
Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom
Updated: AnnualLicense: Public
Economic Freedom ScoreProperty RightsJudicial EffectivenessBusiness FreedomTrade FreedomInvestment FreedomFinancial Freedom

Safety & Crime

World Bank - UNODC Crime Data
Updated: AnnualLicense: CC BY 4.0
Intentional homicide rate (per 100,000 people)
US State Department Travel Advisories
Updated: ContinuousLicense: Public Domain
Travel Advisory Level (1-4)

Health & Wellbeing

World Happiness Report (Gallup World Poll)
Updated: AnnualLicense: CC BY 4.0
Happiness Index (0-10 Cantril ladder)Social supportHealthy life expectancyFreedom of choiceGenerosityCorruption perceptions
WHO Global Health Observatory
Updated: AnnualLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO
Healthcare access indexLife expectancyUniversal Health Coverage (UHC) index

Digital Freedom & Internet

Freedom House - Freedom on the Net
Updated: AnnualLicense: Public
Internet Freedom ScoreObstacles to AccessLimits on ContentViolations of User Rights
OONI (Open Observatory of Network Interference)
Updated: ContinuousLicense: CC BY 4.0
VPN blocking detectionSocial media blockingWebsite censorship measurement
EF English Proficiency Index
Updated: AnnualLicense: Public
English Proficiency ScoreProficiency Band

Climate & Environment

Open-Meteo Historical Weather API
Updated: Derived from 30-year historical daily dataLicense: CC BY 4.0
Monthly average temperatureMonthly precipitationSunshine hours
World Bank - Air Quality (PM2.5)
Updated: AnnualLicense: CC BY 4.0
PM2.5 air pollution (annual mean, microg/m3)

Demographics & Society

World Bank - Population & Demographics
Updated: AnnualLicense: CC BY 4.0
PopulationUrban population %Population growth rateAge dependency ratio
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Updated: AnnualLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Education IndexLiteracy rate
ILO (International Labour Organization)
Updated: AnnualLicense: CC BY 4.0
Average weekly working hoursStatutory annual leave daysPublic holidays

Governance & Stability

World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators
Updated: AnnualLicense: CC BY 4.0
Political StabilityGovernment EffectivenessRule of LawControl of CorruptionVoice & Accountability

Lifestyle & Visa Data

Lifestyle & Vibe Analysis
Updated: Quarterly (generated by Claude 3.5 Sonnet, reviewed by SettleRadar team)License: SettleRadar Original (CC BY 4.0)
Lifestyle summaryRemote work infrastructureExpat community profileCost of living overview
Nomad Visa Data (SettleRadar Research)
Updated: QuarterlyLicense: SettleRadar Original
Visa nameMinimum income requirementDurationApplication process

Data Pipeline

Raw data from each source is ingested via automated pipelines into a normalized PostgreSQL database. Indicators are standardized to consistent units and scales where necessary. Country pages are generated using Next.js Static Site Generation (SSG) - data is baked into HTML at build time for maximum performance and reliability.

The SettleRadar database currently covers 250 countries and territories, with each country having up to 60+ distinct indicators. All SettleRadar-original content (lifestyle summaries, visa data compilations) is published under CC BY 4.0.