Life ain’t just for working, and in this day and age we all deserve a healthy work-life balance. However, countries vary quite significantly in their attitudes towards work – some have adopted four-day working weeks while others are still lagging behind when it comes to paid time off and parental leave.
Handily, Remote has just published its third annual Global Work-Life Balance Index, which assesses the top 60 GDP countries on statutory annual leave, paid maternity leave, sick leave, healthcare, public safety, public happiness, LGBTQ+ inclusivity and average working hours, granting each a score out of 100.
And for the third year in a row, New Zealand has claimed the crown as the country with the best work-life balance. It got a score of 86.87 out of 100 overall, which is an improvement of six points compared to last year.
Recommended: The European island nation named the world’s safest country to travel to in 2025.
So, what’s so great about life there? Well, it scored consistently well across the whole study, particularly in factors such as statutory annual leave, public happiness, minimum wage (which is the second highest in the ranking) and safety.
Ireland came in second place with a score of 81.17, topping the ranks for Europe, and in third place it was Belgium with 75.91 overall.
These are the best countries for work-life balance
- New Zealand
- Ireland
- Belgium
- Germany
- Norway
- Denmark
- Canada
- Australia
- Spain
- Finland
Overall, Argentina had the biggest leap by climbing six places compared to its ranking in 2024, jumping from nineteenth to fourteenth, and the UK gained four points, too. On the downside, the USA dropped from 55th to 59th out of 60, due to lower public safety scores and LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
Did you see that this Scandinavian capital was named the world’s most liveable city right now?
Plus: The otherworldly destination named Europe’s best place for a road trip.
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