The UK is the only major European country in which investors are happy with their choices, according to new research.

In eight out of ten countries, the majority of investors were unhappy with their investments, with many expressing regrets. The findings are from a survey of 1,418 individuals by Schroders.

The only exceptions were the UK, where 55 per cent said they were happy with their choices, and Germany, where opinion was split at 50 per cent.

While the level of satisfaction was strongest at home, UK investors did report a number of regrets.

The most common, among 16 per cent of respondents, was not starting to invest earlier in life, further reflected by the 50 per cent of UK investors who said their top piece of advice for their children would be to start saving early.

Thirteen per cent of UK investors said they wished that they had invested more money, a concern that was more prevalent elsewhere with 22 per cent and 23 per cent citing it in Sweden and Switzerland respectively, where investors were less happy overall with their choices.

After a turbulent 2011, only 9 per cent of UK investors felt they had been too conservative in investment decisions during the year.

Unsurprisingly, the Eurozone topped UK investors’ list of market concerns, with 60 per cent feeling it was the most worrying factor, while 52 per cent were concerned about low interest rates continuing into 2012.

Looking forward, 43 per cent of investors expressed concern over the prospect of a weak or prolonged economic recovery.

The lowest level of investor satisfaction was in Austria, where just 5 per cent said they were pleased with their choices.

Peter Beckett, head of international marketing at Schroders, commented, 'Our study comes at a time when the region has been through major economic challenges and investors across Europe have been forced to revisit and reappraise their investment strategies.

'As investors consider their plans for 2012 amidst a bleak economic outlook, advice from independent financial advisers can help identify opportunities that offset the regrets they have identified during 2011,' he added.