THE UK is the worst place to live in Europe while France and Spain come out top for quality of life, according to the latest uSwitch.com Quality of Life Index.

As a result, almost half (46%) of those living in the West Midlands have thought about emigrating, while 12% are seriously considering it and Spain is the country of choice.

Even those not thinking about emigrating are not necessarily happy - just 26% would not emigrate because they are happy living in the UK.

Fourteen per cent of those living in the West Midlands will stay because of their family while a further seven per cent are put off by the money and hassle involved in emigrating.

While the broken society is the biggest concern for those in the West Midlands, they are also worried about the cost of their energy and petrol and job security and unemployment.

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, said: “The UK has the worst quality of life in Europe but things are even worse for some of us.

“For those living in the West Midlands the ‘broken society’ and the worries about job security are just the tip of the iceberg, so it’s hardly surprising that nearly half have thought about emigrating.

“But for those who decide to stick it out and ride the storm, there will be no choice but to batten down the hatches.

“Cutting back and saving can help combat the high living costs and contribute to a better quality of life and while there are signs that consumers are already doing so, more could be done.

“Taking control of our household finances may be the only way we can steer through these turbulent times until we reach a point where we can start to see our quality of life improve.”