Most emigrants say life better abroad

A majority of those who have emigrated in the past few years say they are happier now than when they lived in Ireland, according to an Ipsos MRBI/Irish Times survey of attitudes among recent emigrants.

A substantial majority believe their quality of life is better than at home and people say they have a healthier diet and take more exercise.

Asked to list the single biggest challenge they had to deal with since leaving the country, finding somewhere to live came first, closely followed by getting a job. Making friends, becoming familiar with a new place, commuting or learning a language also featured as challenges.

Asked if they kept in contact with people at home, 89 per cent of emigrants said they did. Telephone was easily the most popular form of communication with 68 per cent rating phone or Skype as the one most often used. Just 14 per cent rated social media as the method of communication most often used, followed by text at 12 per cent and email at 6 per cent. Some 11 per cent used letters, but less than 1 per cent of respondents said it was the method they most often used to keep in touch.

The survey, conducted by Ipsos MRBI for The Irish Times, was based on telephone interviews with a cross-section of emigrants in terms of gender, age, place of origin in Ireland and destination abroad. The people interviewed were Irish nationals who had left the country since 2008 as emigrants.

The sample was identified by Ipsos MRBI interviewers and research took place between March 1st and 13th. It covered emigrants across the globe. Those interviewed came from all 26 counties in the Republic.

One-third of those interviewed, some 33 per cent, are now living in the United Kingdom, 38 per cent are in Australia or New Zealand, 12 per cent in North America, 8 per cent in mainland Europe and 9 per cent throughout the rest of the world.

Asked if they were happier or less happy than when they lived in Ireland, 56 per cent said happier, 22 per cent were less happy and 22 per cent about the same.

When asked if their quality of life was better than in Ireland an even bigger majority, 70 per cent, said it was, with 11 per cent saying it was not as good and 20 per cent saying about the same.

Questioned about their lifestyle, 55 per cent felt they had a healthier diet than when they lived in Ireland, 13 per cent said it was less healthy and 31 per cent said about the same.

On the issue of exercise 54 per cent said they exercised more, 17 per cent said they exercised less and 28 per cent said it was about the same.

One area of their lives where emigration did not appear to make much of a difference was the question of alcohol consumption. Asked if they drank more or less alcohol than when they lived in Ireland, 22 per cent said they drank more, 35 per cent said they drank less and 42 per cent said it was about the same.

Asked about the challenges facing them in their new country, a wide range of issues were mentioned but finding somewhere to live emerged as the biggest single challenge with 19 per cent putting it in first place.

That was closely followed by finding a job, with 18 per cent saying that was the biggest challenge they faced since leaving.

Other issues included getting used to different people and the way things were done in the new country, making friends and getting used to a different place and long commuting distances.

Learning a language, opening a bank account, hotter or colder weather, a different sense of humour, more urban landscape and pace of life were also mentioned by respondents.

Driving on the other side of the road was a problem for a small number of people, while nobody said they suffered discrimination or were bullied because they were Irish.

Asked to list important things they had done since emigrating, moving ahead in their career came first, followed by receiving further qualification or training.

A very small percentage had married, bought a home or had children since emigrating.

When asked about their social circle in their new countries, 59 per cent said it was mainly other Irish while 41 per cent said mostly non-Irish.