A lot of us have been feeling the pinch living here in the UK, and this study does not go anywhere to help us believe that “things are going to get better” anytime soon.  Share with us your experiences – are they different to what the league table reports?  ps – the Top 3 countries are France, Spain and Denmark

 In a study of ten of the largest European countries, Britain comes last followed by Ireland, with France and Spain topping the table. 

Though British households enjoy the highest income, at £35,730 a year, £10,325 higher than the European average, British families have to contend with a high cost of living, with fuel, food and alcohol all costing more than the European average. 

With a litre of unleaded petrol at £1.08 a litre, the UK is the second most expensive country in Europe. However, diesel is more expensive in the UK than anywhere else in Europe – £1.13 a litre, which is 19p or 20 per cent above the European average of £0.94. 

The report by price comparison website uSwitch analyses 10 European countries against 17 different benchmarks, from the price of gas, electricity, fuel, food and drink to the amount each country spends on education, health to working conditions and the weather.

The top three countries are France, Spain and Denmark, with Sweden, Ireland and Britain coming eighth, ninth and tenth respectively. 

The study comes less than a week after the United Nations moved Britain out of the top 20 list of most desirable countries to live in for the first time. 

While France and Germany were initially hit hard by the global financial crisis, both have officially exited their recessions, while Britain has yet to confirm this has happened. Later this week, despite signs of recovery in the housing market and buoyant retail sales, there is expected to be grim economic news with unemployment predicted to have climbed to above 2.5 million for the first time since 1994. 

The uSwitch report indicated that Britain suffers from the lowest number of days holiday per year, with the average worker entitled to 26 days, well below Spain on 41. British consumers also pays the highest prices for diesel, food and the country spends below the European average, as a percentage of GDP, on health, and education. It also has the 4th lowest life expectancy in Europe, at 78.9 years, compared with above 80 years in France, Italy and Sweden and workers retire later than most of their European counterparts. 

Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch, said: “There is more to good living than money and this report shows why so many Brits are giving up on the UK and heading to France and Spain. 

“We earn substantially more than our European neighbours, but this level of income is needed just to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table and our homes warm. It’s giving us a decent standard of living, but it’s not helping us achieve the quality of life that people in other countries enjoy.”

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/household-bills/6284423/Britain-has-worst-quality-of-life-in-Europe-study-says.html#

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