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Brit expats flee Spain due to troubled economy
| Published: | 23 Apr at 6 PM |
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A recent data release has revealed that the number of British expats officially registered as living in Spain decreased in 2013 by 20 per cent.
The official number of Britons living in the crisis-hit country as recorded by town hall registers totalled 385,179 at the beginning of last year. However, the British Embassy believes there are at least 800,000 UK citizens living in Spain permanently or for at least part of the year.
Data from the National Institute of Statistics showed that, over 2013, the official numbers dropped to 297,229, a fall of 22.8 per cent, reflecting an ongoing trend for immigrants to give up on the country and its woes and return home. Spain wasn’t the only country to lose expat residents, with 23.6 per cent leaving Germany and the immigrant population in France falling by 12.7 per cent.
The figures support a study undertaken by researchers from the University of Leicester, which showed that many migrants relocating from one EU country to another were less happy with their choice than those who stayed in their home states. British migrants were the most miserable, with four per cent of those surveyed wishing they’d stayed at home.
The survey took into account the diversity of the respondents as regards age, education, employment, income and religion, all factors which can distort results. In general, northern Europeans who chose to move to warmer southern European states were less pleased with their quality of life than their counterparts at home.
The official number of Britons living in the crisis-hit country as recorded by town hall registers totalled 385,179 at the beginning of last year. However, the British Embassy believes there are at least 800,000 UK citizens living in Spain permanently or for at least part of the year.
Data from the National Institute of Statistics showed that, over 2013, the official numbers dropped to 297,229, a fall of 22.8 per cent, reflecting an ongoing trend for immigrants to give up on the country and its woes and return home. Spain wasn’t the only country to lose expat residents, with 23.6 per cent leaving Germany and the immigrant population in France falling by 12.7 per cent.
The figures support a study undertaken by researchers from the University of Leicester, which showed that many migrants relocating from one EU country to another were less happy with their choice than those who stayed in their home states. British migrants were the most miserable, with four per cent of those surveyed wishing they’d stayed at home.
The survey took into account the diversity of the respondents as regards age, education, employment, income and religion, all factors which can distort results. In general, northern Europeans who chose to move to warmer southern European states were less pleased with their quality of life than their counterparts at home.
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