As a British expatriate I can tell you for a fact that I am happier living abroad – but perhaps you need more official evidence to back up the claim that British expatriates are officially happier living overseas?
Well, NatWest’s International Personal Banking division has commissioned an in depth survey of Brits abroad and returned the conclusion that because almost nine out of ten people surveyed stated that their life has improved since moving abroad, Brits are indeed much happier once they expatriate.
Are you wondering how you could perhaps find better paying employment, an improved work life balance, a better quality of life, shorter working hours and more leisure time? If you are, the writing is very much on the wall – it’s time to plan your new life abroad! As this report will show you, there are many fundamental elements of an individual’s life that can be vastly improved by relocating overseas, and if you want to get a better life, allow us to show you how!
Reviewing the Survey’s Findings and What They Mean for You
NatWest’s ‘Quality of Life Report’ surveyed well over a thousand British expatriates around the world in multiple different nations, and focused specifically on areas of one’s life that count towards ‘standard of living’ – from salary and monetary aspects, to leisure time and the way of life overseas.
The findings are comprehensively in favour of getting a new life abroad!
For example, 89% of those surveyed stated categorically that their quality of life abroad is better than it could be in the UK. This is backed up by the fact that the latest official figures we have, (from 2007), show that more Britons are leaving the UK than on average, and fewer are returning than the average each year!
The NatWest report also shows us that British professionals abroad can earn more than their UK based peers – on average bringing home up to £20,000 more per year and continuing to enjoy pay increases despite the global financial downturn. And because money isn’t everything, it’s worth noting as well that the Britons surveyed stated that they can strike a better balance between time spent working and time spent pursuing leisure based activities once they relocate.
Naturally enough, specific salary aspects are determined by the individual and the nation they move to and where they find a job – but clearly you can find shorter working hours overseas, in locations where the weather is better, the way of life is more laid back, taxes are perhaps lower and the cost of living is more affordable.
In terms of where to live abroad if you want to be happier – I can tell you that the survey revealed that perhaps the likes of China, Singapore, Hong Kong and the UAE are great for personal financial advancement, but they are not the countries where the expats surveyed were happiest. The happiest were living and working in France, Portugal and Spain, the U.S. and Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa – because the expats in these locations were all so comfortable with their new lives in their new nations that they were not planning on returning ‘home’ to the UK any time soon!
How Can You Find a Happier Life Abroad?
The key to finding greater happiness abroad is in both recognising what it is about your current life that makes you unhappy, and what it would require to make you happier in a new life overseas! So, if the weather and the taxes in the UK make you unhappy, conceivably moving somewhere where the sun shines and your income is less eroded by taxation could make you happier.
If on the other hand you’re unhappy in the UK because of the job you’re in or the person you’re married to – maybe you need to sort your personal life out before you do anything else! Yes, a move abroad could allow you to ‘escape’ your life, but it may not improve it in the long-term!
So, you have to be realistic about what it is you want from a relocation – and then marry your expectations and desires with the right country for you. We have already produced a report about the 5 countries that should be top of your list for happier days living abroad. But to ensure you find the right nation you will need to look at all of the following elements – although some may be less applicable to your personal position. I.e., if you’re thinking about retiring abroad, finding a nation where there are employment opportunities will not necessarily be an important consideration for you: -
1) Money matters – where can you afford to move to, find accommodation and enjoy a decent standard of living – considerations need to apply to the currency in use abroad, how much money you have saved up to relocate, and how much you can earn overseas
2) Employment options – if you’re of working age, you will need to find work overseas to fund your relocation and your life. Look and see where your skills are needed, or where you ideas for a business would be well received
3) Climate change – anyone who spends too much time in the UK through its long winters requires some sunshine at some point! If that sounds like you then you need to think about where abroad you can find a good standard of living, a decent way of life and a better and sunnier climate! Fortunately it’s not that difficult as most places have better weather than Britain!
4) Accessibility – you may want or need to stay close to home in the UK, or you may want to be as far away as possible from your old life – either way, think carefully about the cost and time involved in travel back and forth for you and your family and friends who you will want to visit, and who will want to visit you
5) Red tape – some countries are free and easy for us Britons to move to, others require us to complete lots of forms, apply for visas and perhaps prove we have a job or a sponsor in the country we want to live in. Look at what’s required of you and where you will be ‘allowed’ to live overseas
This list is certainly not exhaustive in terms of the considerations you need to have in mind when looking for the right destination. But they should help you to rule out lots of countries which will make your short list even shorter! You then need to spend some time in your favoured country and see whether you think you really could be happier living and working or retired therein.
Remember that living abroad is a lot different to holidaying abroad, so get off the tourism beaten track and get up close and personal with your new nation to see whether all it has to offer is enough to make you happy. The statistics are certainly in your favour according to NatWest’s Quality of Life Report!
