A fifth of Brits fancy flying the nest for another country before they hit 40

A fifth of all Brits aged under 25 do not expect to be living in the UK by the time they turn 40, suggests a report by GlobalVisas.com.

The survey discovered that many young Brits see a life overseas as the best way to improve their life quality, earn more and enjoy a more fulfilling, happier career…

GlobalVisas.com asked 1,451 18-25-year-olds about their future plans, with 21 per cent intending to leave the UK to live permanently overseas when they were ‘no older than 40’. Many believed that they would have built up enough savings and accrued enough professional experience by that time to make a move abroad a reality.

Forty one per cent of those polled believe that there are more employment opportunities abroad, and an encouraging 32 per cent felt that ‘the world is bigger than Britain’.

“In order to achieve a sustainable level of debt within the economy, it seems that Brits face a wave of further spending cuts, tax increases and increased immigration to support the ageing population,” said Liam Clifford of GlobalVisas.com.

“It’s perhaps understandable that the younger generation may consider moving abroad to avoid the impact of these measures while they still enjoy the flexibility of youth.

“The results of our survey could be considered worrying for future governments, as it seems that the pillars of support in place for the older generation, rather than being propped up by immigration, are in danger of being removed by emigration as the young consider ‘jumping ship’. Economic woes could create a vicious cycle, which the UK may struggle to counteract.”

A report by the Office of Budget Responsibility echoed these sentiments, warning that Britain’s ageing population will only increase the strain on the nation’s state finances, and advised that the country requires an additional 140,000 immigrants a year to make up for the shortfall.

But with one-fifth of British youngsters looking to emigrate at some point in their future, that estimate might well have to be revised upwards.