Global life-work balance index 2025

Overall index score: 86.59

If you’re planning to relocate overseas for work in 2025, very few places beat New Zealand. In fact, “The Land of the Long White Cloud” (the English translation of the country’s Māori name Aotearoa) remains top of our index for a third successive year and has even bettered its 2024 score, helped in part by a modest increase in minimum wage.

What makes New Zealand so favourable for life-work balance? Being surrounded by such varied, awe-inspiring scenery is a factor, but even where it isn’t number one across every measure we used, it performs consistently well — especially on statutory annual leave, public happiness, safety and minimum wage (where it ranks the second-highest of the countries assessed).

Kiwis value hard work, yet as the New Zealand government’s guide to the NZ way of working points out, “Life is for living and employers generally respect that.”

Overall index score: 81.17

Ireland holds on to second place in 2025. Renowned for its friendly locals, the nation often associated with St. Paddy’s Day is, alongside Austria, one of the safest countries to live and work in among those we analysed.

The Emerald Isle posts strong results across multiple areas, with a comparatively high minimum wage and a generous maternity leave scheme relative to many peers (26 weeks at 70% of income). Workplace culture in Ireland generally combines hard work with a genuine sense of community and camaraderie.

Overall index score: 75.91

Having cemented a spot in the top three after sharing third place with Denmark last year, life-work balance is becoming as much a Belgian hallmark as its chocolate, waffles and beer — and one reason is that Belgium has among the highest minimum wages in Europe (exceeded only by the United Kingdom and Germany).

Belgium also rates strongly on other measures such as statutory sick pay and maternity payment rates, and its happiness score is among the highest in Europe at 6.91/10. Belgians typically work relatively short weeks, averaging 34.1 hours compared with many international counterparts.

Overall index score: 74.37

Germany has climbed two places from the 2024 ranking to reach fourth in our 2025 life-work balance index. Punctuality and professionalism are often described as “German values,” but there is also a strong focus on working smarter rather than simply longer hours, which helps explain why Germany is regarded as having one of Europe’s better life-work balances.

Several factors have helped lift Germany’s score in 2025, but a notable development is an increase in statutory sick pay, particularly for parents. We’ve also observed a modest rise in overall happiness and a fall in average weekly hours, while the country’s LGBTQ+ inclusivity has improved since 2024.

Overall index score: 74.20

Norway makes the largest leap of any nation in our top ten, rising from ninth in the 2024 study to fifth in 2025. Much of that improvement stems from an extension of parental leave options (Norway has the most generous parental leave policy of all countries studied), and there has also been a slight reduction in working hours. At 32.6 hours, Norway’s average work week is among the shortest in Europe.

Norwegian workplaces tend to emphasise equality and cooperation, which is reflected in its status as the most LGBTQ+-inclusive country on our list. Like many other Nordic nations, Norway is also seen as one of Europe’s happiest countries.

Overall index score: 73.76

Danes have long been associated with a healthy separation between personal and professional life. Indeed, Denmark’s strong focus on balancing work and life is often cited as a key reason it frequently ranks among the world’s happiest countries — and the population’s fondness for the hygge lifestyle may contribute as well.

Although Denmark slipped out of the top three this year (it shared third place with Belgium in 2024), the country remains synonymous with a high quality of life, ranking second only to Finland for public happiness levels. It also records one of the shortest average working weeks (32.5 hours) and is regarded as one of the safest and most LGBTQ+-friendly nations.

Overall index score: 72.89

Canada has dropped two places this year, but it remains the only country from the Americas to appear in the top ten for life-work balance. In marked contrast to its southern neighbour (the United States ranked 59th of the 60 countries reviewed), “The Great White North” posts solid scores across numerous measures in our 2025 study.

For example, Canada ranks among the world leaders for statutory sick pay and also performs well on public safety and LGBTQ+ inclusivity. Another distinction is that Canada has a universal, government-funded healthcare system — something the U.S. does not provide.

Canadian employers typically value punctuality and reliability, while employees tend to maintain a healthy separation between work and family life.

Overall index score: 71.53

Australia is widely perceived as having a relaxed culture, with Aussies often adopting a “no-worries” approach to life. That attitude is reflected in many workplaces, which tend to favour openness and egalitarianism. The country retains eighth place in our life-work balance rankings for the second consecutive year.

Although Australia trails its Antipodean neighbour New Zealand across several categories, it has the highest minimum wage of any country in our study — the equivalent of $18.12 in U.S. dollars. Perhaps unsurprisingly for a nation known for its laid-back outlook (and plentiful sunshine), Australians work comparatively short weeks, averaging 32.29 hours.

Overall index score: 71.42

Rounding out the top ten is Finland, regarded as, “officially” the happiest country in the world in 2025, according to a recent study. The Finns have topped global happiness rankings for the past eight years, often attributed to high levels of social trust and freedom, along with strong connections to nature and outdoor life.

Finland has slipped two places in our 2025 life-work balance table (partly due to a slight fall in LGBTQ+ inclusivity), but it remains in the top ten thanks to the aforementioned happiness score, generous statutory annual leave, a high sick pay rate and a relatively short average working week.

Overall index score: 70.53

Has the stereotype of the classic Spanish “siesta” become outdated? Possibly (it’s thought that most Spaniards never take a midday nap), yet the country still maintains a generally healthy attitude towards work and life, keeping its place in the top ten for a second year running.

Although Spain’s public happiness rating is lower than many other European countries, it performs well across most measures. Spain is ranked the second-most LGBTQ+-friendly country of the 60 we examined, and workers there benefit from generous annual leave entitlements and solid maternity payment contributions.