Expat life: 5 things Aetna learned from 1,000 travelers

Aetna surveyed 1,000 expats in the U.S., United Kingdom, Singapore, China and United Arab Emirates about their experiences living abroad in 2020.

Five things to know:

1. More than half of expats surveyed said they preferred to be living in their home country during the COVID-19 pandemic than abroad.
   
   
2. Thirty-two percent of expats with a preexisting mental illness said COVID-19 had significantly affected their overall well-being. 
   
   
3. Sixty percent said they are eating more healthily during the pandemic, while 43 percent said they are exercising more and 27 percent said they are drinking less alcohol. 
   
   
4. Thirty-three percent of expats said missing home, family and friends is the biggest challenge of living abroad.
   
   
5. Nearly 44 percent said they feel happy living abroad, while 42.2 percent said they feel safe and 37 percent said they feel welcome.