NatWest IPB’s Quality of Life Report – which surveyed 1800 British expats living across more than 12 territories, revealed that the older generation was still reluctant to submit bank details over mobile banking platforms, however, with only 6% doing so despite representing a quarter of all mobile phone users.
Overall British expats appear to have embraced the digital age, with nine in ten owning three or more personal technology devices. The top three devices are the PC, 91%, smartphone, 87%, and laptop 83%, while tablets 53% and notebooks 48% are also popular.
Expats living in the US are the most tech savvy with 97% owning three or more devices, compared to the 90% in China, 84% in Spain and 81% in South Africa.
Over half of those who own three or more personal technology devices (58%) are between the ages of 25 to 45, while those over the age of 56 account for just 10%.
The majority of expats – 89% – claim that that personal technology has vastly improved their quality of life with 78% saying the main benefit of personal technology is its ability to help them to stay connected with friends and family.
Over two thirds, 69%, claim that technology makes life much easier to organise and manage, while 64% say that it provides them with lifelines when they need them.
Four out of five expats belong to at least two social networks with Facebook proving to be the most popular at 79% followed closely by Twitter, 74%, and Google Plus, 65%.
Dave Isley, head of NatWest International Personal Banking said social networking sites and apps have revolutionised the way in which British expats keep in touch with family and friends, as well as how they interact with their new social circle.
“The world of social media doesn’t follow the same rules as other forms of personal technology – there are no time zones to respect, there are no limits on how much multimedia can be uploaded, or how many people can be spoken to at once. And now that expats can access these social sites on-the-go through their smart devices, the opportunities to stay in touch with family, friends and interact with their local community are virtually limitless.”
