Avivia discovers what UK expats miss the most

British Culture

A new survey conducted by Aviva Health UK has revealed the 10 aspects and items of British culture that wannabe UK expats would miss the most.

The research was conducted as part of Aviva’s annual ‘semi-gration’ survey that examines the attitudes of Brits who are thinking about, or are in the process of, moving abroad.

This year’s results gave some interesting results- missing friends and family is first and foremost on people’s minds , 74 percent cited it as their their main issue. Next on the list was British TV, with 43 percent claiming that beloved shows such as Eastenders and Hollyoaks would be their main reason for homesickness.

Sarcasm and irony came next as the British sense of humour was third with 39 percent, closely followed by fish, chips and other staples of British food with 38 percent.

Practical concerns were also on people’s minds as the NHS was fifth with 34 percent.

The full list is:
1. Friends and family
2. UK TV
3. English humour
4. English Food
5. NHS
6. English language
7. Hometown
8. Home
9. UK Sport
10. Nightlife

Teresa Rogers from Aviva commented on the findings: “Moving abroad doesn’t come without its worries and it’s not surprising to see the NHS on the list of things people would miss. In the UK we take it for granted that we can access health advice and speak to a doctor in our own language – but this isn’t guaranteed abroad. While we can’t help improve the quality of TV abroad, taking out appropriate international health insurance for example, can help eliminate a number of the health-related concerns identified in our research. We can put people in touch with specialist multi-lingual support services, arrange treatment on their behalf, give them access to 24-hour support from a physician and take care of their medical bills, leaving them to dream about roast dinners rather than worrying about their health,” she said.