Australia is the favourite destination for British expats, with a third of the estimated 5 million Brits living overseas opting to move Down Under.
Behind Australia’s 1.4 million expats comes Spain, with 940,000, and the US with 794,000.
Australia has retained the top spot since overtaking New Zealand in 2010. Canada, which held second place in 2010 is now fourth.
The figures come from the latest NatWest International Banking quality of life index, which reveals out of 196 countries, 41 have a British expat population of 10,000 or more, while another 112 countries are home to 1,000 or more Brits.
Emerging business and financial centres also attract British expats, says the report.
Most Brits in China live in the capital Beijing (19,000) and Shanghai (8,000), while another 11,000 are spread throughout the country.
Singapore is the largest Asian business centre with 45,000 British expats.
Around 100,000 British expats live in the United Arab Emirates, mainly in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
Dave Isley, Head of NatWest International Personal Banking, said: “Either by design or accident, British expats are our ambassadors abroad and are playing a pivotal role in promoting values and best practices. Their contribution to local economies and communities – either financially or socially – cannot be underestimated.
“The common glue is the English language which has proved to be a vital tool and has played a leading role in the globalised world. It has provided a common platform for international drive; driven global collaboration and thinking; and opened the doors to opportunities around the world. The English language is an industrial tool now as basic as the screwdriver.”
Another growing sector for Brits overseas is teaching English.
Nearly 74,300 British teachers work in international schools – almost 14% of the number of teachers employed in UK state schools.
By 2013, the number is predicted to hit around 115,000 as the appetite to learn English abroad increases, says the report.
Poverty, violent crime, corruption, why would anyone want to live in the UK if they couldn get out? The MPs have demonstrated time and again that they are not to be trusted while they focus on their own exit plans. The UK worries about net immigration, they dont seem to worry about the numbers of decent, hardworking people leaving to be replaced by feckless, welfare scrounging immigrants.