Pricey, gloomy and busy: UK worst place to live in Europe

Despite enjoying the fourth-highest income in Europe, residents of the UK are getting a raw deal compared with their neighbours in terms of high prices, the lowest holiday entitlement and the highest retirement ages.

Even recession-blighted Ireland has overtaken the UK as a good place to live, according to the report, which rated our nearest neighbour as above Britain in terms of food prices, the amount of holiday allocated to the average worker and the amount of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) that is spent on health infrastructure.

The report examined 16 factors, including net income, VAT and the cost of essential goods, such as fuel, food and energy bills, as well as lifestyle factors including hours of sunshine, holiday entitlement, working hours and life expectancy, to provide a complete picture of the quality of life in each country.

The UK only lags the Netherlands, Ireland and Denmark when it comes to net household income.

But long working hours, the lowest number of holidays a year and a high retirement age paint a bleak picture for those living in the UK.

British residents also suffer the most expensive food and diesel prices, along with higher than average petrol costs – and the lowest amount of sunshine.

“Last year, at least our neighbours in Ireland were worse off, now we can’t even console ourselves with that,” said Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, which commissioned the study. “We are now officially at the bottom of the pile.”

More than one in ten people living in Britain said they are seriously considering emigrating – while a further quarter of the population said they would move abroad if they could.

Ms Robinson added: “We may still be enjoying the fourth- highest household income in Europe, but the high cost of living means we’re living to work.

“When coupled with many of the issues facing households in the UK today, it’s not surprising that one in ten of us have contemplated starting a new life abroad.”

She added: “But for those of us who decide to stick it out and ride the storm, there will be no choice but to batten down the hatches.”

As well as topping the quality of life league, France and Spain are also the countries where people in the UK would most like to live.

The Spanish can expect to live a year longer than people in the UK and enjoy the highest number of holidays in Europe at 39 days. They also have the cheapest alcohol and the most sunshine of anywhere in Europe.

But Stephen Leckie, chairman of the Scottish Tourism Forum and chief executive of Crieff Hydro, said people in the UK – and particularly Scots – can take for granted their life in Britain.

“We have people coming here from overseas for the beautiful countryside in Scotland because it is something they cannot get at home,” he said. “Yes, other places have more guaranteed sunshine and if you are looking for somewhere you can lie by the beach, perhaps that is for you, but there is so much more to do here in a climate where it is cool enough to get out and about to do things.”

When asked for the five worst things about living in the UK, 59 per cent of those questioned said “broken society”, 49 per cent cited the cost of living and 47 per cent said they were worried about crime and violence. Just five per cent said they were happy in the UK.

Mark Williamson, director of Action for Happiness, added: “Studies have found that it is relationships – both at home and work – and our personal choices which have the most effect.

“However, some of those basic economic factors do need to be included and people at the lowest end of the pile in the UK feel worse off in comparative terms than those in many countries in Scandinavia, where they are much better at life satisfaction.”