伦敦富人标准：家庭年收入43万英镑
| 英国《金融时报》伦敦及东南部记者鲍勃•舍伍德(Bob Sherwood)报道 |
| 2007年12月22日 星期六 |
英国《金融时报》进行的一项调查显示，一个四口之家需要近50万英镑的税前年收入，才会在伦敦感到富裕。 今年，私人股本巨头与“非本地居民”(non-dom)在税收方面享受的优惠待遇曾招致了公众的不满。年终之际，哈里斯(Harris)为英国《金融时报》进行的民意调查显示，英国人认为一个普通家庭年收入需要达到43.2万英镑，才能过得起有钱人的生活方式，相当于全国平均工资（2.38万英镑）的18倍多。 即使是很多公司的董事也到不了这个收入档次。英国GMB总工会的一份报告称，大型机构的首席执行官与董事平均每年收入21.4万英镑。上述数字既反映了伦敦的高生活成本，也反映了这个都市日益膨胀的超级富豪阶级对于财富概念的转变程度。 |
与此同时，对英国其它地区感觉富裕所需收入的调查结果，凸显了伦敦与其它地区之间的鸿沟。受访者表示，在曼彻斯特，感觉富裕需要9.1万英镑，在利兹需要10.6万英镑，在格拉斯哥需要11.59万英镑。但是，该调查显示，伯明翰的居民需要31.86万英镑才能感觉富裕。
有些受访者感觉，只有那些年收入100万英镑以上的人才能称之为“富有”。这种感觉导致所有城市的平均值都有所上升。中值数据显示，想在伦敦感觉富裕，10万英镑即已足够，约为其它城市的两倍。
但在1100名受访者中，大约60人认为，想在伦敦感觉富裕，年收入至少需要50万英镑，与之相比，只有约20人认为在地方城市需要这么多钱。在100万英镑这个档次，伦敦和其它地区的差别就更加明显了：20个受访者认为在伦敦需要这笔钱，与之相比，只有5个人认为在地方上需要这么多钱。
尽管公众在今年对于超级富豪的税收优惠非常不满，但哈里斯民意调查发现，在1100多名成年受访者中，基本没有迹象显示人们普遍对伦敦超级富豪阶层感到反感。
| By Bob Sherwood, London and South-East Correspondent |
| Saturday, December 22, 2007 |
A family of four needs a pre-tax income of approaching half a million pounds a year to feel rich in London, according to a Financial Times survey. At the end of a year in which the tax privileges of private equity titans and “non doms” have attracted public ire, a Harris poll for the FT shows Britons think a typical family needs to earn 432,000 – more than 18 times the national average wage of 23,800 – to fund a wealthy lifestyle. Even many company directors would fall short of that income bracket. A report by the GMB general union this month said chief executives and directors of large organisations earned an average of 214,000 annually. The figures reflect both the high cost of living in London and the extent to which the growing ranks of the super-rich in the capital are changing perceptions of wealth. Meanwhile, the gulf between London and the rest of the country is underlined by the findings on the amount needed to feel rich in regional cities. Respondents said 91,000 was needed to feel rich in Manchester, 106,000 in Leeds and 115,900 in Glasgow. However, Birmingham residents would need 318,600, according to the survey. All the city averages have been raised by respondents who feel that only those in the 1m-plus bracket can be classed as “rich”. The median figures suggest that 100,000 would be enough to feel wealthy in London, about twice as much as the other cities. But almost 60 of the 1,100 people interviewed thought that at least 500,000 a year was needed to feel rich in London, compared with only about 20 believing that much was needed in the regional cities. The gap between London and the regions was even more stark at the 1m threshold – 20 respondents felt that much was needed in London compared with only a handful in relation to the regions. Despite the furore over their tax treatment this year, the Harris poll of more than 1,100 adults found little evidence of a widespread backlash against the soaring ranks of London-based super-rich. |