Spain’s abundant sunshine was the main reason why 85% of expats moved here, a new poll by Internations has discovered.  This actually only places Spain fourth in the overall table of sun attraction destinations, with Malta at 92%, Costa Rica at 89% and Cyprus at 86% each stressing that the climate was the biggest draw for them.

Spain was, however, a world leader in terms of leisure activities, with 85% of expats stating that the chance to live more of an ‘outdoor life’ and a ‘more active life’ due to the abundant sunshine found here.

The Internations poll also looked at the various reasons why certain nationalities choose to move abroad.  It found that 60% of British expats in the survey said that the weather was the deciding factor, with a similar proportion of Dutch, Irish and Norwegian expats saying the same.

Sunshine is the one thing that these wealthier northern Europeans cannot import, and so heading south makes perfect sense to those with the cash and the inclination to do so.

Unsurprisingly, the poll found that more than 14,000 expats living in 191 countries also found that the British weather ranked extremely low in reasons why expats move to the UK, with career and culture proving the strongest draws.