Brits favour Spain as number one retirement destination, polls reveals

A survey by financial services company Retirement Advantage has found that Spain is the top retirement destination for Brits.

Of all European destinations, Spain took 19.4% of the vote, and was also top of the polls globally, edging out the USA into second place. France came fourth, behind Australia, while Italy, New Zealand and Canada each struggled to get barely more than 5% of the votes…

The survey offered further proof that Spain is a perennial favourite for British people hoping to spend their retirement years somewhere warm, accessible and affordable. And despite recent concerns that the Brexit vote may have damaged Spain’s appeal, it would appear that the country’s popularity has never been higher among would-be retirees from the UK.

The survey asked 1,200 Brits, of whom all were aged over 18 but none were yet retired. With Spain coming out on top, this year’s survey mirrored the results of the last Retirement Advantage survey in 2013, which also saw Spain claim top spot, immediately ahead of France and with the USA in third place.

“We dream of year-round sunshine and an easier pace of life when we retire, and a number of us are hoping to enjoy just that with plans to move abroad,” said Retirement Advantage’s Pension Technical Director Andrew Tully. “Cheaper living costs and potentially cheaper property than the U.K. can be a strong draw,” he added.

Further data published by the World Economic Forum over the weekend also revealed that there are an estimated 4.9 million Brits living overseas, with more than half that figure residing in the European Union. This makes the UK the EU country with the highest number of its citizens living abroad, ahead of Poland (4.4 million) and Germany (four million).