It may not have come as much of a surprise to those Brits who love to moan, but this year Britain was actually found to be the worst place in Europe for quality of life. So maybe we’re not a country of people who love to moan after all, maybe we’re just a country of people who are realistic?
So why is it such a bad place to live? Well, the average wage has fallen dramatically whilst we seem to have a higher retirement age and a lot less holiday allowance than most of Europe. Not only that, but we also have a much lower life expectancy than most of our neighbours, with our closest neighbours France, Germany and Holland all long outliving us. Plus, whilst for many years we were miserable but well off, we now seem to be miserable and poor.
So where is the best place to live? Well, for the second year running it is the French who have the best quality of life. Which may explain why so many people are choosing to move there. With it being so close, enjoying better whether than us and with many of us still having a basic grasp of the language, it seems to make perfect sense that moving to France is on so many peoples’ minds.
Not only that, but along with France (which topped the list again), the top ten best places to live in the world includes Germany, Switzerland and Belgium, with Britain coming in nowhere near.
So if you thought you were miserable, then the chances are you were right, but it might not be your fault. For those who want to be happier then moving to France or moving to Germany may well be the answer. Fifty years ago moving to Germany or France would have been unthought-of. But today it might be the best way to be happy.