Comparing the cost of fuel, insurance, road tax and MOT, on average it costs the UK motorist £3,453 a year, which is £1,000 more than in the USA and Australia, £1,825 than Japan and a full £2,000 more than in China.

The survey, conducted by Webuyanycar.com, compared the cost of motoring in 21 countries on five continents, and revealed that on many fronts the UK motorist is paying more than anyone else.

Based on an annual mileage of 12,500, the average UK driver will spend £2,256 a year on fuel. Just across the channel in France it would cost £2,078, while in the States it would be a measly £990. In Saudi Arabia where fuel can cost as little as 7p per litre a year’s fuel could cost as little as £130.

As for road tax, the survey calculates the average cost of UK VED at £225, seven times the amount paid by drivers in Switzerland, Spain and Russia, while those in Canada, South Africa and New Zealand pay zero road tax.

There is some good news however; recent falls in the cost of car insurance mean that the UK average premium of £667 is on a par with countries such as the USA and Canada plus European nations like Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. That also puts UK drivers well ahead of Switzerland where the average premium is a massive £1,200, although more than France, Spain and Australia which are all under £400.

Richard Evans, head of technical services for webuyanycar.com, comments: “Most of us don’t stop to think how much each journey in the car actually costs and as the price of fuel, insurance, road tax and MOTs have all crept up in recent years, the total is now a massive outlay for the average household.”