Having read the article 'Britain has worst quality of life in Europe, study says' by Harry Wallop in the Telegraph, and a similar article entitled 'Britain is the worst place to live in Europe (despite our big pay packets)' by Laura Clark in the Mail Online, I thought it best to read the actual report by uSwitch.com entitled 'UK enjoys highest net income in Europe, but quality of life is poorest.
The opening paragraph reads, 'The UK and Ireland are the worst places in Europe to live, according to the latest uSwitch.com Quality of Life Index. While the UK enjoys the highest net household income in Europe, quality of life is the poorest, proving that there is more to good living than money. Long working hours, lower holiday entitlement and a high cost of living all contribute to a poor quality of life in the UK – and it’s not much better for the Irish either:'
As a current resident in Spain I'm interested in the comparisons of it and the UK. Out of the 10 countries included in the index Spain is ranked number 2 with the UK in last position at number 10.
In her comments about the report Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com, says: “There is more to good living than money and this report shows why so many Brits are giving up on the UK and heading to France and Spain. We earn substantially more than our European neighbours, but this level of income is needed just to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table and our homes warm. It’s giving us a decent standard of living, but it’s not helping us achieve the quality of life that people in other countries enjoy.
“For too long the focus in the UK has been on standard of living rather than quality of life. As a result we have lost all sense of balance between wealth and well-being. The recession could prove to be a turning point, forcing us to re-evaluate our way of life, get back to basics and to the things that really count. Consumers are already beginning to do this – the Government and its policymakers would do well to follow suit.”
It would seem that the decision of my wife & I to retire to Spain is the right one at this time.
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