Expat Pensioners Don't Miss Home As Survey Reveals Seven Out Of Ten Britons Living Abroad Are Likely To Stay

Expat pensioners don't miss home as survey reveals seven out of ten Britons living abroad are likely to stay

Daily Mail

By Steve Doughty

Seven out of ten Britons who have retired abroad are happy with their new country and likely to stay there, a survey said yesterday.

Fewer than one in five who have gone to live in France, Portugal or Spain are considering returning home, it found.

The poll also found that nine out of ten of expat retirees live among the natives of their adopted country rather than among fellow Britons in communities of exiles. 

No return: Seven out of ten Britons that have emigrated say they are unlikely to be coming back

The survey, carried out for NatWest bank, suggested that the trick to a happy retirement overseas may be planning ahead.

The highest levels of satisfaction were found among those who were employed in their new country before giving up work.

Among those in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. who worked in their chosen country before retiring, fewer than one in ten thought they might go back to Britain.

Nearly 150,000 British citizens left the country last year to live abroad, many of them after giving up work. 

According to the survey, there are now an estimated 900,000 expat pensioners, with nearly 300,000 in Australia, 115,000 in Spain and just under 75,000 in France.

Dave Isley, from NatWest International Personal Banking, said: 'Retiring abroad is still very much a popular choice and expats are happy with their chosen life paths.

It's encouraging to see that the majority of expats believe they made the right decision in retiring abroad and are living their chosen dream. It is enlightening that 92 per cent of expats chose not to retire to a designated expat community.

'This seems to emphasise the notion that expats have retained a sense of adventure.

Australia: Around 300,000 expats are now living in the country, with fewer than one in ten thinking they will ever return back home

'They really do want to start afresh and experience life as a local rather than settle with other expats.

'By immersing themselves in a full, enriched life as a local, retired expats can certainly learn and gain more from their time abroad.'

The survey also revealed that nearly six out of ten retirees abroad feel their experience has been better than they expected.

Only one in ten said retirement in a foreign country had proved worse than they thought it would be.

Among expat pensioners in France, Spain and Portugal, who mainly left Britain after they retired, just 16 per cent thought they might return.

The survey was carried out by the Centre for Future Studies among 1,300 retirees.