Living Abroad - Record Numbers Leave the United Kingdom

According to a report published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of UK residents leaving the country for a new life abroad has risen to a record high.

In a recent survey by one British Expatriate Association in Australia, the top five reasons for leaving the United Kingdom began to shed a little light on this particular matter.

Immigration Issues
Ironically enough, the single most cited reason for starting a life outside the United Kingdom is the country’s rapidly increasing immigration problem which, during the 2005/2006 period, saw 574,000 immigrants moving to the UK in search of a better life.

Healthcare
Next, and this is a major issue for many retirees, comes the quality of healthcare in the UK and the current state of the NHS. With even countries such as Thailand being praised for providing superior medical care to Britain, it comes as no surprise that this has become such a major reason for living abroad. Little wonder then that, given the Republic of Cyprus' reputation for an excellent standard of healthcare, so many British expatriates are choosing to make their home on Aphrodite’s Isle.

Taxation & Stealth Taxes
Although Britain does theoretically have a lower rate of income tax than most North European countries, it can also boast one of the highest rates of local taxation anywhere in the EU.
For instance, whereas the average council tax bill in the UK now stands at £1,300 per annum, it’s equivalent in the Republic of Cyprus ranges anywhere from C£80 to £130.
Additionally, VAT rates and other so-called stealth taxes in the United Kingdom leave far less money in the tax payer’s pocket than is commonly accepted.

High Prices and Cost of Living
While this particular topic is at least partially tied to taxation, it is commonly cited as a separate issue. The fact is that London is now officially the most expensive city in the European Union (second most expensive in the World, behind Moscow), where cost of living is concerned. By comparison, no city in Cyprus, not even Limassol or Nicosia, even makes it into the top 50.

British Weather
The figures released by the ONS are based on the year 2005/2006. If the weather was a main consideration during this period, this year’s floods, storms and unseasonably cold summer must surely reflect in next year’s statistics. In 2007 by contrast, the weather in Cyprus has (once again) truly lived up to its reputation and provided a long and sunny summer.
With an average 326 annual days of sunshine for the island as a whole, it truly is the ideal place for a sun-loving lifestyle.

To add a little touch of irony to this topic, my particular place of residence for the past two years has been the small village of Oroklini, just outside Larnaca. Despite the fact that the summer has been hot and without rain since the beginning of June, the village does not actually suffer from a hosepipe ban.

Whatever their reasons; almost 400,000 residents chose to leave the UK’s shores during 2005/2006 alone. And whilst the overall favourite destinations are still Commonwealth countries such as Canada and Australia, the Republic of Cyprus has seen its fair share of new arrivals during the past couple of years.

Speaking as one of the 385,000 expatriates in ONS statistics (I left the UK in August 2005), I have to say that I haven’t really looked back since coming to Cyprus. And although I return to the UK to visit friends and family about every four months, neither I nor my wife suffer from homesickness.

Sasch Mayer
aphrodite property sales. IT Director
27th August 2007

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