Spain Wins Out As Top Destination For Expat Brits

It’s survey time again, with Spain now voted the top dream destination for British expats.

According to a new poll carried out in the UK, Spain is still the all-time favourite destination for Britons looking to improve their quality of life at less cost than in the UK. The study’s question was straightforward, asking respondents where they’d move if they could choose one country anywhere on the planet. Spain was one option, pitted against Dubai, Canada, New Zealand and Australia as well as other British expat hideaways, but still coming first with 13 per cent of the vote. Oz and New Zealand both scored 12 per cent, with Canada at 9 per cent, Italy at seven per cent and France at six per cent. The USA did better than expected, with 10 per cent of respondents voting it into fourth position in spite of its present political woes.

Let’s face it, Brits love nothing better than sitting watching prime time TV programmes on living overseas, and browsing property price listings in exotic locations is another favourite weekend activity. A place in the sun, it seems, isn’t just a TV programme, it’s a lifetime dream for many Brits. In spite of the above, the actual winner of the survey at 16 per cent was the UK itself, as those who voted for staying home clearly loved living in the home country. To be fair to Britain, it’s stunningly beautiful in many regions, with different landscapes, eye-watering coastal views and plenty to do and see, even if the prevailing weather patterns make it tricky to do anything at all.

The poll attempted to answer this question by separating out respondents by age – a good ruse as it proved the British youth of today were far keener to explore the far-flung corners of the world than were their older equivalents. Lavish lifestyles, career opportunities and adventure on the hoof grabs the young and adventurous, whilst older would-be expats require at least a certain amount of peace and quiet. Obviously, for those under 34, America was the first choice, followed by Australia and with Spain in third place. Perhaps because of the dream of untold riches, Dubai and the Gulf States were popular with young adults and, perhaps unsurprisingly, New Zealand was number one with adults older than 55 years.