A new survey* commissioned by Lloyds TSB International has revealed that nearly three in five British expats (58%) choose to leave the UK in search of a better career or salary. A third (29%) of those who are motivated by career and salary are aged 45 to 55, and, once they have relocated, over half of this group (52%) do not plan to return home.

Many expats choose to put down roots and stay permanently in their new country of residence, but 56% of expat respondents have no plans to return home to the UK permanently. There is a clear correlation between expectations for the future and age of expats; the younger the respondent, the more likely they are to return to Britain. Only 20% of 18 to 24-year-olds said they would not return home, versus 80% of expats aged 65 and over.

Of the countries surveyed, France, South Africa and the US attract the longest-staying expats. Far fewer expats choose to stay long term (ten years or more) in the UAE and Hong Kong, where the majority are working males aged between 25 and 54.

It seems that, once expats have moved abroad, the ties that bind them to the UK do not break easily, with over three quarters (76%) of respondents recognising the importance of maintaining ties with the UK. Most expats visit the UK for holidays, with family visits outstripping business trips by nearly six to one (74% versus 13%).

Surprisingly, with so many expats citing their original reason for moving abroad as being career and salary orientated, earnings do not influence the decision to move back home. On the contrary, the most likely reasons given were family pressure (26%) and poor health (25%) – evidence of an emotional connection with the UK.

Lloyds TSB International's managing director, Jakob Pfaudler, said, “As an expat myself, I can understand the value of keeping in touch with your home country. Research shows that moving countries carries with it a huge emotional investment, and it takes on average one to two years before an expat establishes a social network and starts to feel settled. Coupled with the fact that most move to advance their career, it is no great surprise, therefore, that, once they start to reap the benefits, they aren’t contemplating moving yet again; over two thirds of respondents with more than £500k in liquid assets are not planning a return to the UK.”

* The survey was conducted online by FreshMinds with 412 expats of British nationality living in France, HK, Spain, South Africa, UAE and USA.