Do you want to move to Spain… for good?

Life's a beach in Spain, and is increasingly becoming a permanent home for expats

Moving to Spain has been an incredibly popular pastime for Brits over the past few decades. That much you know, of course. Constantly vying with France for top spot in expats’ affections, Spain’s lifestyle, climate, warm welcome and robust, Brit-friendly atmosphere makes it a brilliant choice for a life in the sun.

But the question has always been: for how long? Traditionally, and by traditionally we’re talking only over the past decade or so, the majority of Brits living in Spain have eventually moved back to the UK at some point. Whether for economic, family, health or employment reasons, life in Spain hasn’t normally been forever.

That trend is changing, though. A survey by Lloyds TSB International has questioned 1,168 British expats as far afield as Australia, Germany, South Africa and, of course, Spain and asked them – do you intend to move back to the UK?

The results may surprise you. No, not the fact that British expats in France reported the highest contentment with life abroad, but the fact that 80 per cent say they have no intention of returning to the UK.

“Expats are increasingly turning temporary overseas work into a permanent move, and it does seem that the UK is losing its allure for many people who have experienced different cultures and lifestyles,” said Richard Musty, Lloyds TSB International’s private bank director. “Availability of jobs and the cost of living certainly plays a role, but as our research shows, lifestyle factors can also be decisive in where people choose to live.”

By country, expats living in Australia were the least likely to return to the UK, with nine out of ten planning to stay Down Under indefinitely. The bank’s evidence has also suggested that the UK’s current economic difficulties are proving a huge deterrent for expats, with 26 per cent citing poor employment prospects in the UK as the main reason why they left the country. That figure stood at just 17 per cent in 2011.