Britons shun UK and move abroad for warmer climate - 18th November 2008

Bad weather is the top reason Brits want to emigrate from the UK and Australia and Spain are their preferred destinations, according to new research from Alliance and Leicester International. `

It found that 60 per cent of retired British expats rate good weather as the factor which sets their new country of residence apart from the UK, and a higher standard of living and better quality of life are ranked second and third place (48 per cent and 44 per cent) respectively.

Expats who have moved abroad to run a business, as well as those who emigrated for family reasons, also rate weather as their number one ‘pull' for living abroad (70 per cent and 60 per cent respectively). Half (50 per cent) of those who moved overseas for business purposes rated standard of living and safety as joint second favourites, and 45 per cent placed the slower pace of life in their new country at third.

After weather, people who emigrated for family reasons feel that the better quality of life and feeling safer in their new country are important - rating them in second and third place (45 per cent and 40 per cent) respectively.

Australia and Spain come out top as the countries which are home to the most satisfied expats. Almost nine in ten (86 per cent) of those living down under vote weather as the best thing about the country, 80 per cent say it’s the standard of living, and 73 per cent say quality of life is what they like best about the country.

However, there are some downsides to moving abroad. Just over half (51 per cent) of expats miss their family and one in five (21 per cent) struggle with language barriers. Almost one in ten (9 per cent) admit to missing British food. Unsurprisingly, only 4per cent claim to miss the UK's weather.

Simon Conn, Sales and Marketing Director at Conti Financial Services, says:
“The attraction of a better climate and relaxed lifestyle means the number of people wishing to  retire overseas seems to grow every year. And in many destinations, not only do they find that property is cheaper, they also tend to find that their pensions support a more comfortable lifestyle because costs are so much lower than in the UK. 

“It’s perhaps no surprise then that the Institute for Public Policy Research expects more than 3.3m British pensioners to join the ‘silver flight’ by 2050.”