Absolutely, at the very least, mixing with women that are approachable WILL build up your confidence and comfort level VERY quickly. The summer before last I did a short spanish course in spain with students from all over Europe, most of whom were female. There was only one other british girl there, who was nicer than your typical brit. I was staying with 2 lovely German girls as well who were both really sweet and approachable. In fact they invited me to go to a cafe in the evening just after meeting them. Every girl I met there was totally free of attitude and the 'I'm so hot how dare you look at me without coming up to my standard' vibe. My god! It was so refreshing. I had a great time but unfortunately I was only there for a week because of work. The important thing is that my own confidence level around women improved ASTRONOMICALLY in that short week, more so than years of frequenting pubs and clubs. plus I still keep in contact with some people. I remember how grumpy I was in the weeks after returning.Good advice for us guys in our 20s (even late 20s as myself). I see that if I can get a job doing international work (possible through a few ideas I tried), I should be able to go to a new place every 2 years. I think this a good way to build confidence and get a girlfriend during that time. I see that a person has to bring up their confidence and be comfortable in their own skin. Most women like this (even in man-friendly countries such as PI, countries such as Brazil, Colombia and in eastern Europe).
Also, when I was at college doing my AS level in music there was a nice Austrian girl in the class who, funnily enough, I found the most approachable and easiest to get on with. She commented on how immature a lot of the british students were (at college age) and how they act and judge people like 14 year-old school kids.
To Kingjoe; Have you every thought about doing some volunteering overseas? There are oodles of low-cost ways of volunteering. Are you interested in sustainability, conservation, peace or just plain getting your hands dirty? Try googling up some of these organisations;
Youth Action for Peace
Concordia
European voluntary service
WWOOF
There are these and many, many more that offer ways to gain work experience and travel at very low cost. I would highly reccommend that you try something of that nature. At the very least you will get out there into a change of scene, you will out of your comfort zone and you WILL return with a whole new sense of worth. You will also meet great new people. Plus you'll have something fantastic to put on your CV. I don't know whether it's your sort of thing but, if you're interested I would definitely give it a go. You never know, it could be a stepping stone to a better life.
Have you ever thought of things like language study, TEFL or any career fields that offer extensive opportunities for travel. It's worth looking into.
Unfortunately the UK has the highest teen pregnancy rate in Europe and there is a severe problem of girls getting pregnant specifically to sponge off the welfare state. I live in a resort town on the south coast of England that has one of the worst teenage pregnancy rates in the southwest region. There are a lot of people living off welfare and a lot of single mothers and step-families. Despite being surrounded by idyllic countryside the town I live in has many rough ghetto areas.The only objection is that single mothers don't want a man, on the contrary they do want a man/husband/boyfriend. The UK has such a welfare state that they don't require men, that's correct, but most if not all still want a man.