Under embargo until: 00.01hrs Monday 12
th
October, 2009
UK ENJOYS HIGHEST NET INCOME IN EUROPE, BUT QUALITY OF LIFE IS
POOREST
The UK and Ireland are the worst places in Europe to live, according to the latest uSwitch.com Quality of
Life Index
[1]
. While the UK enjoys the highest net household income in Europe, quality of life is the
poorest, proving that there is more to good living than money. Long working hours, lower holiday
entitlement and a high cost of living all contribute to a poor quality of life in the UK – and it’s not much
better for the Irish either:
Best quality of life can be found in France and Spain. The worst can be found in the
UK and Ireland[1]
Depressing: UK workers can expect to work 3 years longer[2] and die 2 years younger
than their French counterparts[3]
Cost of living: consumers in the UK are paying above the European average for fuel[4],
food[5], alcohol[6] and cigarettes[7]
Health and education: the UK’s spend on healthcare[8] and education[9] is below the
European average. Only Ireland and Poland spend less on healthcare, but Ireland has
more doctors and hospital beds and Poland has more beds than the UK[10]
Longer life: Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden all enjoy
longer life expectancy than the UK[3]
Retirement age in the UK has dropped, but it is still the 4th highest in Europe[2]
UK enjoys highest net household income[11], but workers in the UK get lowest holiday
entitlement in Europe[12].
The latest uSwitch.com European Quality of life Index reveals that people in the UK are still
getting a raw deal compared with their European neighbours. Despite the fact that the UK
enjoys the highest net household income in Europe – £35,730 a year, which is more than
£10,000 a year above the European average[11] – this does not translate into a good life.
Instead, people in the UK can expect to work longer, die younger and enjoy lower standards of
healthcare and education.
The uSwitch.com study examined 17 fact