BLOG - What do British Expats miss

Quality of life and retirement are the top reasons people leave UK while fish and chips and a good pint are missed most by expats, a 2011 survey of Post Office International Payments (POIP) reveals.

Happiness and financial pressure
It found that those who do move abroad are living their dream. 70% of expats rank themselves as very happy with their new life, although almost two thirds admitted to feel pressure on their personal finances. Some 60% said they feel a greater sense of community in their new country compared to the UK.

Top 3: France, Spain and US
The top country chosen by expats as their new home is France. Spain was the second most popular destination as many expats said they had no desire to move too far away. Third was the US, followed by Australia and then Thailand.

What British miss
Family is what expats miss the most (57%,) followed by friends (43%) and personal events such as weddings and birthdays (25%). However, 20% still yearn for the UK countryside, 5% miss driving on the left hand side of the road and 5% miss their pets. Some 3% even said they most missed UK soap operas. Looking at food and drink in particular, traditional fish and chips was the dish most missed by people living abroad. Other favourites included a pint of ‘proper beer’ (23%), English breakfast tea (13%) and Marmite (6%).