Is Britain really the worst place to live?
A report out today suggests that Britain is the worst place to live in Europe, even though the report highlighted that it also has the highest income per person in the euro zone. With an average after-tax household income of over £35,000 it is some £10,000 higher than the European average but when taking into account the cost of living and other elements, it appears that Britain is the worst place to live in Europe.
It will come as no surprise to many people to learn that the cost of living, weather, cost of property, finance costs and other similar elements have dragged Britain down to the bottom of the league table. Longer working hours, less annual leave and rising food bills are also other elements which have been taken into account and obviously impacted negatively on the U.K.'s rating. But is this really a fair reflection?
It has long been assumed that the UK has one of the highest costs of living in Europe even though ultimately it also offers the highest income in Europe. For a country which is relatively small on the scale of developed and major countries around the world, the UK certainly does punch above its weight and has done for many years. However, it would appear that over the last two years there has been a significant reduction in household income at a time when the cost of living continues to rise and the cost of food and fuel in particular is pushed higher and higher.
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