Meta description: Multiple global rankings label Czechia as “unfriendly”. But what do these lists really measure? An ironic look from Brno.
Every few months, it happens again. A new ranking pops up online, shared with a mix of amusement and mild outrage, claiming to have finally solved one of humanity’s great mysteries: which countries or cities are the friendliest—and which are not.
And, more often than not, the Czech Republic is there. Not exactly shining.
If you’ve been reading Expat247 for a while, this won’t surprise you. We’ve joked (and sometimes not joked) about frosty service, minimal eye contact, and that peculiar Central European talent for making you feel like you’re interrupting something just by existing. Restaurants, bars, offices—it’s a recurring theme, and yes, sometimes we’ve been less than diplomatic in describing it.
But before we condemn an entire country based on a chart, it’s worth taking a step back. Because the truth is simple: there isn’t one ranking. There are many. And they often measure very different things.
One topic, many rankings
Some studies approach friendliness from a psychological angle, using personality models and behavioural indicators. Others rely almost entirely on expat perception: how welcome people feel, how easy it is to make friends, how locals interact with newcomers.
One of the most widely shared recent examples comes from Expat Insider, which regularly publishes surveys based on feedback from thousands of expats worldwide. In its 2025 edition focusing on social integration and friendliness, Czechia ranks near the very top—if we’re talking about the least friendly countries. Second place globally, no less.
That sounds dramatic. Until you read the methodology.
Participants aren’t asked whether locals are “good people” or “kind at heart”. They’re asked how easy it is to make friends, whether locals actively engage with foreigners, and how comfortable social interactions feel on a daily basis. In other words: surface-level social warmth, not long-term human quality.
And this is where Czechia struggles.
The Czech paradox
Anyone who has lived in Brno or Prague for more than a few months knows the paradox well. Initial interactions can feel cold, distant, even dismissive. Smiling at strangers is not a social default. Small talk is treated with suspicion. Excessive enthusiasm may be politely ignored.
For newcomers—especially those arriving from Southern Europe, Latin America, or the US—this can feel like rejection. Rankings pick up on that discomfort and translate it into numbers.
But here’s what those same rankings can’t fully capture: what happens after the ice breaks.
Czech social circles are slower to open, but once they do, they tend to be genuine, loyal, and refreshingly free of performative friendliness. You may not be invited for a beer on day one—but if you are, it usually means something.
Why rankings keep disagreeing
The reason these lists contradict each other isn’t incompetence. It’s perspective.
A city that ranks low in “friendliness” might rank extremely high in safety, reliability, work-life balance, or overall quality of life. And many expats eventually realise that constant smiles aren’t the same thing as respect, honesty, or trust.
Czechia is a textbook case. Not warm. Not chatty. Not eager to please. But efficient, safe, predictable, and—once you understand the code—surprisingly humane.
So are Czechs unfriendly? According to some rankings, absolutely yes. According to lived experience, it’s more complicated.
Friendliness isn’t universal; it’s cultural. And expecting every country to express it in the same way is a shortcut that rankings love—but real life rarely rewards.
In Czechia, friendliness doesn’t wave at you from across the room. It waits. Quietly. Usually with a beer.
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