Rome - In recent months, an increasing number of young, disillusioned Italians have left the United Kingdom to return to Italy. Despite having a stronger job market than their home country, Britain’s binge drinking culture, weather and the pressures of London life, have all been cited as reasons to leave.

 Over the course of the last few decades, thousands of Italians have been drawn to the UK to search for work. As many as 13,000 Italians left for Britain in 2013, however, there are growing signs that Britain’s popularity with its Italian counterparts may be on the wane.

 Recent reports have highlighted the impact that a difference in drinking culture is having on Italians in the UK. Speaking to Il Fatto Quotidiano, Annalisa Coppolaro, who with her English husband had been living in England for 15 years before recently moving to Siena, commented, “I hated the binge-drinking, that is the need for English people to get drunk as quickly as possible.”

 Certainly these allegations ring true as a recent study conducted by Eurobarometer, placed the UK at the top of the binge-drinking league table following a Europe-wide survey. The statistics indicate that Britons drink more in one evening than people in any other European country, however conversely Italians proved to be the most abstemious, with nine from every 10 saying they would never drink more than two glasses in an evening.

 However, there are other social differences which are contributing towards the outflow of a number of UK based Italians. In an interview with Il Fatto Quotidiano, Mirella Melis indicated that many of her compatriots were drawn to London to the buoyant job market, however said it can be a difficult place to settle down.

 “After spending several years in London you realise that many of those aspects of London life that initially excited you, have today become a burden,” she said. It is at that point that you begin to see the flaws and to feel the need to return home.”

 In her interview, Melis also acknowledged that the “horrible climate” had an effect on Italians living in England. On average the city of London sees rain on a total of 164 days a year, which is almost double than the 83 days of rain during a normal year in Rome with average temperatures around five degrees higher in the Italian capital.

 Despite these issues with the British culture and climate, should young Italians return home to Italy, there is a good chance that thousands more will be waiting in the wings to take their place. The UK economy is currently experiencing higher growth than Germany, France and Italy and is therefore an attractive proposition for would be Italian immigrants. If this financial trend continues, the figure of 220,000 Italians living in London will likely continue to grow.