Philippines Ranks Seventh in World’s Fastest-Growing Remote Work Hubs, According to Nomad List

Manila — The Philippines has secured the seventh spot on the list of the world’s fastest-growing remote work hubs, as revealed by the work and travel platform Nomad List.

According to Philippines News Agency, Manila is among the top 10 ideal destinations in Asia, South America, and Europe for digital nomads or remote workers. The list was also posted on the World Economic Forum’s official Instagram account.

Garafil explained that the rankings are based on the growth rates of check-ins made in various places by tens of thousands of Nomad List members. The platform analyzed a total of 299,498 check-ins to create the list. “These growth numbers give travelers and workers an idea of the fastest-growing remote work hubs and also show the current rank on Nomad List so they can gauge the popularity of the place,” Garafil said.

Tokyo, Japan leads the list, followed by Danang, Vietnam; Seoul, South Korea; and Kuala Lumpur and Penang, both in Malaysia. Other locations that made the list include Montevideo, Uruguay (6th), Hanoi, Vietnam (8th), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (9th), and Ljubljana, Slovenia (10th).

Garafil shared data on the country’s performance in the remote work arena. “Tracking the country’s five-year growth from 2018 to 2022, the Philippines posted +78-percent growth. For 2023, it recorded +60-percent growth based on 10 months of data. Last year, it posted +1,183-percent growth,” she said.

Garafil went on to discuss the factors contributing to the Philippines’ inclusion in the list. She highlighted the country’s sustained economic growth rate, ongoing bureaucratic reforms, and the administration’s focus on infrastructure development and digitalization. “The Marcos government has been enticing businesses to come to the Philippines, considering the country’s young, highly skilled, and English-speaking workforce,” she noted.

Nomad List is a platform with over 10,000 members who log the places where they are working. According to its official website, more than 4 million people have used Nomad List in the past year to find 1,368 cities in over 190 countries to live and work.