Copyright euroweeklynews
If you’ve spent the past year staring at your heating bill, doomscrolling rent listings, and wondering if maybe you’d be happier in Spain, you’re not alone. A survey from Currencies Direct’s British Expat Report 2024 has revealed that more than one in five UK adults (23 per cent) are considering moving abroad in the next five years. And it’s not just idle daydreaming. In fact, 12 per cent say they’re planning a move within the next 12 months. Which given the cost of living, rent spikes, and grey skies, doesn’t sound unreasonable at all. So, why does everyone want out? The reasons are painfully familiar. According to the report, 45 per cent want a better quality of life, 39 per cent blame the UK’s rising cost of living, and 22 per cent say property prices have pushed them to breaking point. In short: people are tired. Wages haven’t kept up, mortgages are still brutal, and renting feels like setting fire to your payslip every month. The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford adds that emigration often follows periods of high immigration and economic strain. Even on Reddit, you’ll read many comments from Brits that have moved to Spain and are talking about the cost of living in Spain being a quarter of what they would pay in London. Where the Brits are heading So where’s everyone going? No big surprises here: Spain tops the list, followed by Canada, Australia, and the USA. Older Brits are drawn to Mediterranean sunshine, while younger ones fancy North America. When it comes to property value, Spain’s appeal becomes mathematical. Using £150,000 as a benchmark, the report shows Spain ranks second in global “property purchasing power”, meaning your money buys you more home and more sunshine than in the UK. For context, Manchester leads the UK’s “itch to leave” index, with 35 per cent of locals saying they’re planning a move abroad. Who’s leaving and who’s dreaming? It’s the younger generations who are most likely to go through with it: 38 per cent of 25–34-year-olds and 36 per cent of 18–24-year-olds are considering a move. By profession, IT and healthcare workers are the most likely to emigrate, at 48 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. The logic is simple: if your skills are portable and you can work from a laptop, why not do it from a place where a flat white doesn’t cost 6 euros? But is it easy to move? Since Brexit, the romantic idea of “just moving to Spain” has turned into a pile of visa paperwork and awkward embassy emails. Around 29 per cent of would-be movers worry about language barriers, and 36 per cent say they’re scared of missing friends and family.. That said, plenty are making it work through digital nomad visas in Spain and Portugal, or Canada’s points-based routes. The ONS reports 517,000 UK citizens emigrated in 2024, proof that a solid chunk of dreamers are becoming doers.. Life after leaving So what happens when people actually go? Almost half of them say their mental health improved in their first six months abroad, and 38 per cent say they’ve never once regretted it. But it’s not all tapas and cheap rent. Around 6 per cent of Brits regret leaving, often because of bureaucracy, social isolation, or unexpected costs. Clearly, the intentions don’t always equal action, but the mood in the UK is real: a national itch to leave. Whether people follow through or just keep fantasising about better weather and cheaper rent, the story is the same. It seems that Britain’s young adults are losing patience. And it’s not about hating home. It’s about wondering if “home” could be somewhere that doesn’t charge £1,600 rent for a shoebox flat. And until that changes, expect to keep hearing the same refrain: “I’m done, guys, I’m moving to Spain.”
