The Eye

Back in December the Institute for Public Policy Research, a UK ‘think tank’, released a very interesting report which contained the results of research they did involving the experiences of Brits living in countries all around the world. According to the report more than 198,000 British nationals moved overseas last year, bringing the total number of Brits abroad to more than 5.5 million. Apparently Britain now has more people living abroad than almost any other country. The top 10 countries where Brits live, together accounting for around 75 per cent of all Brits living abroad, are:

• Australia 1.3 million, equivalent to 2 per cent of UK population
• Spain 760,000
• USA 680,000
• Canada 600,000
• Ireland 290,000
• New Zealand 215,000
• South Africa 212,000
• France 200,000
• Germany 115,000
• Cyprus 59,000

Another thing that came to light in the report was that almost as many British nationals have left the UK as non-British nationals who have entered the UK and that the number of people emigrating in recent years has started to increase in net terms. We are truly becoming a ‘global community’ and it looks like the number of British citizens living abroad will continue to grow.