Living standards were 21pc higher in the UK compared with the average in the EU, the statistics office Eurostat said. In Luxembourg standards were 50pc higher. Germany took third place, followed by the Netherlands and Austria. Individual consumption was used as the measure, often cited because it includes all goods and services that a household consumes, regardless of whether they pay for them. That way Britain's rating is boosted by public services such as health and education, which are largely government funded. Bulgaria was judged to have the lowest standard of living, 58pc below that of the EU average. The data ... (full story)