Increase in Brits leaving UK
Thursday, 11 Sep 2008 14:27
Number of Brits heading for sunnier climes is on the increase
Brits are leaving the UK in their droves, according to research from insurer Axa.
Axa said enquiries for international medical insurance from people looking to relocate was up 11.7 per cent in 2007 and rose a further 15 per cent in the first half of 2008 alone.
"If this trend continues, Axa believes that by the end of 2008, the number of people leaving the UK could exceed 500,000 this year - the equivalent of losing the entire population of Leeds," the company said.
Gloomy headlines about the economy and equally gloomy skies may be behind the apparent exodus, Axa has suggested.
Cyprus has experienced a strong surge in the first six months of 2008 whereas enquiries from Spain have fallen by 18 per cent, perhaps reflecting concerns over the Spanish property market, Axa said.
France has seen a massive 103 per cent increase in enquiries, possibly as a result of the French government's revised rules on qualification for French healthcare services for non-French citizens residing in France.
Karen Teasdale, overseas and expatriate manager at Axa PPP healthcare, said: "These figures highlight that more and more people are deciding to leave the UK and set up home abroad.
"Our customers are concerned about the cost and availability of healthcare in - and beyond - Europe. Some people, particularly early retirees, are finding themselves legally excluded from healthcare services in some countries such as France and parts of Spain."
According to official UK Government statistics, more than 400,000 people left the UK to move abroad in 2006.