The UK has the lowest quality of life in the whole of Europe, according to a uSwitch report.

A new report has revealed UK citizens have the lowest quality of life in the whole of Europe, due to long working hours, lower holiday entitlement, and high living costs – even though they enjoy the highest net household income, an average £35,730, which is more than £10,000 higher than the European average.

According to the uSwitch.com European Quality of Life survey, people in the UK have a lower life expectancy than those in France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands.

This could be attributed to the fact that the UK has the lowest spend on healthcare and education. In addition, UK citizens have to pay more than the European average for fuel, food, alcohol and cigarettes.

Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com, 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.”

The Spanish enjoy the most hours of sunshine, the lowest alcohol prices and the highest number of days’ holiday – a huge 41 days, compared to an average of 28 in the UK. However, France topped the league, spending the most on healthcare and enjoying the longest life expectancy.

More depressing still, next year’s Quality of Life survey is expected to show the full impact of the recession – the UK is still experiencing the effects of the downturn in the economy, while France has emerged from its recession. Because of this, quality of life is likely to drop even further, as public spending is reined in and the number of jobless is expected to climb to three million.

“For too long the focus in the UK has been on standard of living rather than quality of life. As a result we have lost all sense of balance between wealth and well-being. The recession could prove to be a turning point, forcing us to re-evaluate our way of life, get back to basics and to the things that really count,” concluded Robinson.