One in three expat retirees plan to return to UK at some point, poll finds

Most Brits who have retired abroad intend to stay in their adopted home, but one-third believe they will move back to the UK at some point.

A recent poll by NatWest International Personal Banking (IPB) has found that one third of Brits who have retired abroad intend to return to the UK at some point…

The survey was the first comprehensive poll of how long British retirees believe that they will remain expats. And while the majority are of the opinion that their current home overseas will be their final home, 32% of those polled will, at some point, head back home during their retirement.

The reasons why are complex. While a couple in their 50s may well think that their recent move abroad will be their last, older retirees appear more eager to head back to the UK to see out their final concerns. For many, money worries are the driving factor – 99% of expat retirees with an intention to return home cited financial concerns as their main worry.

Furthermore, 97% said that an increased cost of living was likely to be a “push” factor, while the simple matter of missing friends and family as the years creep by was a strong “pull” factor for the majority.

Interestingly, three out of four retired Brits polled said that they miss the British culture, and notably more so the older they get. “It is inevitably disappointing for expats who do not feel their expectations are fulfilled by their new life overseas,” said the head of NatWest IPB, Dave Isley. “It is important for anyone planning a move abroad that they make an informed decision which factors in both the financial realities of living abroad and considers the impact of living in a new environment.”

The survey also found that the number of younger British expats – those aged 25-35 – is on the rise, with this demographic now making up 27% of all British nationals currently residing overseas.