Great expat-tations
Expats living abroad move away from the UK for a better quality of life - and get it, according to the new Happiness Index from Post Office International Payments.
According to the Post Office survey, which questioned people who have relocated abroad, in the majority of cases their dream became reality. 70 per cent of expats ranked themselves as very happy with their new life, although almost two thirds admitted to feeling pressure on their personal finances. 60 per cent said they feel a greater sense of community in their new country compared to the UK.
Top five reasons for relocating:
1 To have a better quality of life now and in the future (for me and my family)
2 To retire
3 For a new ‘life experience'
4 To be with my partner
5 Job relocation
Overall, the top country chosen by expats as their new home is France. Although the weather there is typically warmer than in the UK, 50 per cent of French-based expats said they would like the climate to be even warmer or sunnier than it is. With Spain also topping the list, as well as valuing a warmer climate, many expats clearly do not want to stray very far from home.
Most popular countries to move to:
1 France
2 Spain
3 United States
4 Australia
5 Thailand
However, absence really does make the heart grow fonder for winter weather - almost one in ten (eight per cent) expats said they miss the snow or having a cold Christmas.
The Happiness Index also revealed the things people miss the most about home. It is no surprise that family (57 per cent), friends (43 per cent) and personal events such as weddings and birthdays (25 per cent) topped the list. However, 20 per cent still yearn for the UK countryside, five per cent miss driving on the left hand side of the road and five per cent miss their pets. Three per cent even said they most missed UK soap operas.
Looking at food and drink in particular, traditional fish and chips (23 per cent) was the dish most missed by people living abroad. Other favourites included a pint of "proper beer" (23 per cent), English breakfast tea (13 per cent) and Marmite (six per cent). Sunday lunch in the local pub is also commonly missed by expats - with over one in five (21 per cent) listing this as the food they miss the most.
Top five food/ drinks missed by expats:
1 Fish and chips (23 per cent)
2 A pint of "proper beer" (23 per cent)
3 Sunday lunch in local pub/ restaurant (21 per cent)
4 British chocolate (14 per cent)
5 English breakfast tea (13 per cent)
Regionally, the survey showed that people from London and the South East are the most likely to emigrate - 39 per cent of all expats questioned were from this region. This compares to just 13 per cent of those from the North East and North West combined.
Sarah Munro from Post Office International Payments said: "Our research has shown that two thirds of expats are feeling a pressure on their personal finances; with the global recession impacting interest rates and the performance of the pound on the currency market, relocation doesn't always mean immunity to ongoing financial strain.
"Although we've seen that the vast majority of people who relocated abroad are much happier in their adoptive countries, even just moving across the channel can feel like worlds apart from your old life in the UK. And it takes a lot of organising. For anyone who is looking to set up home in a new country, the Post Office International Payments service offers fee-free international money transfers - to help with house deposits and any other set-up costs - and doesn't have to break the bank."
The Post Office International Payments service can be used to send money between UK and overseas bank accounts for a wide range of purposes such as sending money to family and friends, paying bills, managing an overseas property, pension income, school fees or wedding costs.
Find out more about Post Office International Payments by visiting postoffice.co.uk/internationalpayments.