THE UK is among the best destinations for ambitious expatriate employees looking to boost their careers while working abroad, a global report by HSBC has found.

The research showed that alongside London, Bristol, Leeds, Birmingham and Edinburgh are also hotspots in terms of the lifestyles they can offer to expats working in the UK.

More than three-fifths (61.5 per cent) of expats living in the UK said the country was a good place to progress their career, compared with a global average of 43 per cent.

The UK was ranked third for expat career progression behind Singapore in second place and Hong Kong in first place. In Singapore, 62 per cent of expats believe the country is a good place to progress their career and in Hong Kong 68 per cent of expats agree with this statement.

More than a third (35 per cent) of expats said they moved to the UK specifically to boost their career opportunities.

Some 60 per cent of those working in London rated the working culture as being better than at home.

The Expat Explorer survey, carried out in March and April, took the views of more than 26,800 people working abroad, including more than 4,700 expats living in the UK.

Dean Blackburn, head of HSBC Expat, said: “The UK strongly appeals to expats, whatever their ambitions or motivations are, and each city has something great to offer.

“While London emerges as a hotspotfor those looking for a career boost, cities such as Bristol or Edinburgh give expats a great chance to immerse themselves into the rich and friendly British culture.”

The UK was ranked 22nd out of 45 in the overall survey.