A survey commissioned and executed by a UK based medical insurance broker has found that 80% of expatriates were happy with their life style at their new foreign address.
Not surprising the most intelligent of the warm-blooded mammals on our planet were mostly drawn to the sunnier climates that their new country of residence offered.
Surprisingly, better career and income possibilities did not feature that high on their list of reasons to be happy in their new country; as did experiencing new cultures and an improved social life.
This is probably also the reason why most of those who did not enjoy their overseas experience said that integrating into the local community and culture was the most challenging aspect of living on foreign soil adding that they also missed their home country which made living abroad even harder for them.
A significant cause for concern is that 45% of the respondents in the survey confirmed that they had no form of medical insurance whatsoever. And 50% of all respondents were not convinced they would receive the necessary medical care they needed as a foreigner in their country of residence although 75% had made medical insurance claims and were satisfied with the service they received.
Steve Nelson, sales manager of UK based Medibroker, who commissioned the survey said, “It’s great to see that most expats enjoyed their lifestyles abroad with no surprises that the weather is such an important factor! Individual respondent comments suggest that comprehensive research and learning the language is critical when moving abroad to live or work. And it seems that once the move is made there is little or nothing this group of expats would change, with the possible exception of red tape and form filling!”
These survey results come hot on the heels of the newest United Nation report claiming that more than 3% of the world population are migrants living in countries they were not born in.
Britons are some of the most prolific travellers showed the UN report with more than five million people born in the UK have emigrated, with 25% of them ending up in Australia.
Other countries popular with British expats are the United States, Canada, Spain, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Germany and Italy.
