More Than Money: Why Britons Expatriate

I was recently asked to comment by a journalist on why Britons expatriate, particularly focusing on why we Brits have a passion for France.  The answers just rolled off the tongue as they always do, because working daily on an expat resource such as Shelter Offshore means that you have daily dealings with people planning a new life abroad.

The same reasons for leaving their old life in the UK behind are cited time and time again – and now finally we have proof in the form of a ‘quality of life’ survey that it’s so much more than money when it comes to the main reasons why Britons expatriate.  Of course, we could have told you this based on what we are told daily – but it is really positive to have it in the form of a proven resource.

The uSwitch.com ‘European Quality of Life Index’ surveyed the statistics and facts behind our lifestyles in the UK and across Europe in nations such as France, Spain, Germany and Poland and discovered that whilst we in the UK earn well on average, we have the worst quality of life in the whole of Europe.

The survey revealed that whilst we Britons earn on average about £10,000 more per household than households across Europe, we retire later, die sooner, invest less on our health and the education of our children, and pay through the nose for every essential item and little luxury – in other words, the survey proved exactly what all Britons already believed!

When it comes to the reasons cited by expatriating Britons as to why they’re leaving the UK, time and time again it comes down to lifestyle.  I.e., in the UK the lifestyle is destroyed by having to work so hard just to afford a basic quality of life – and those who are leaving are determined that they can find a better balance abroad.

Now if you look closely at the survey from uSwitch.com you’ll see that yes, indeed expatriating Britons are right – because the quality of life in Spain and France tops that in the UK by a million miles.  In such nations they work fewer hours a week, enjoy more holiday and leisure time, live longer and they don’t care that they earn less.

It seems that unless you move to Ireland where things are on a par with the UK in terms of a poor quality of life, you can go and live pretty much anywhere in Europe and enjoy a better lifestyle – even Poland where they have more hospital beds than the UK and pay less for life’s little luxuries too.

If you were of a mind that you could achieve a better quality of life abroad but were worried that you’d perhaps have to live on less if you did expatriate, it seems that it won’t matter to you much once you are installed in your new life abroad because your quality of life will be so much better that it will make it all seem worth it!