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Parental life-work balance index

Which country provides the best environment to raise a family? Our research identifies the nations that put parents' life-work balance first.

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What does parental life-work balance mean?

Life-work balance (yes, deliberately in that order) describes a steady equilibrium between personal and professional life. It is a structure that allows people to fulfil their work duties and progress in their careers while still finding time for family, non-work interests and personal commitments. As many working parents will attest, raising children is itself a full-time responsibility, and combining childcare with paid work can be particularly demanding — especially in a child's early years. Parental life-work balance recognises this, emphasising the importance of providing support so parents can manage family responsibilities alongside career demands. Parental life-work balance covers factors beyond statutory measures such as maternity and paternity leave. While legal leave and pay remain crucial for working parents, matters like childcare, education, healthcare and the cost of living carry equal weight in parents' considerations. At Remote, we advocate for the benefits of a balanced life-work arrangement. Protecting that balance helps reduce burnout, drives productivity and contributes to a content, healthy workforce. Considering a range of issues that affect working parents — such as parental leave policies, statutory annual leave entitlements, childcare costs and access to healthcare — we analysed 20 leading countries worldwide to determine which nations recognise parents' rights by prioritising family.

Top 20 countries leading in parental life-work balance

We selected 20 prominent countries based on population and global economic influence, gathered data on a range of family-specific metrics and scored each nation in every category. Each country was then assigned an overall index score and ranked from most to least family-friendly.

Overall index score

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1. Norway

Overall index score: 79.57

Topped by its spectacular Northern Lights, often visible above this Scandinavian nation, Norway leads our ranking with an overall index score of 79.57. Norwegian workplace culture places a marked emphasis on equality and life-work balance, and many employers provide flexible hours and opportunities for remote working.

Alongside one of the world's most generous parental leave arrangements (working mums receive 54 weeks of paid maternity leave), Norway invests heavily in family benefits. Although living costs are relatively high, the country provides universal healthcare and a comparatively generous statutory annual leave allowance.

Norway employment guide
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2. Sweden

Overall index score: 78.01

Bordering Norway for 1,600 km, Sweden follows closely behind its neighbour in terms of parental life-work balance. The nation is committed to workplace wellbeing — with many firms offering 'wellness allowances' — and its workplace culture is associated with openness, trust and flatter hierarchies.

Sweden ranks among the leaders in childcare provision, devoting a larger share of GDP to pre-primary education than any other country while keeping childcare costs very affordable. The country also has a strong record on gender equality within its parental leave policies — it became the first country to introduce gender-neutral parental leave in 1974.

Sweden employment guide
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3. Denmark

Overall index score: 77.23

Denmark completes the top three, underscoring Scandinavia's leading position in workplace parental support. The Danish are frequently regarded as among the happiest people globally, a fact that is at least partly due to a healthy attitude to work where outcomes are prioritised over when or where work happens.

As shown in our earlier European Life-Work Balance Index, life-work balance is embedded in Danish culture, with generous statutory annual leave. Denmark is also considered one of the safest places for families, and public spending on childcare, family benefits and pre-primary education is higher than in many other countries.

Denmark employment guide
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4. Spain

Overall index score: 72.62

Spain's strong placement is unsurprising; it claimed second place in our 2023 Global Work-Life Balance Index, thanks to a working culture that prioritises wellbeing — and roughly 3,000 hours of sunshine per year. Many Spaniards continue to take a mid-afternoon siesta, which allows them to recharge before returning to work later in the day.

No country in our index offers more generous combined maternity and paternity leave arrangements (including 12 weeks of paid paternity leave), while a relatively low cost of living makes Spain an affordable place to raise a family. The country's statutory annual leave entitlement is also among the most generous in Europe.

Spain employment guide
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5. New Zealand

Overall index score: 71.76

The top-ranking non-European nation on our list is the Antipodean country of New Zealand. Frequently cited as one of the world's most beautiful countries, New Zealand also topped our 2023 global index for its healthy balance of life and work. While hard work is valued, New Zealand culture equally prizes time for activities outside paid employment.most beautiful country in at least one survey, New Zealand also ranked #1 in our 2023 global index for its healthy harmony between life and work. Hard work is a prerequisite of New Zealand’s culture, but just as important is making time for non-work pursuits.

Although childcare can be relatively expensive, New Zealand offers one of the highest minimum wages worldwide. It is regarded as a particularly safe country for families, and New Zealanders (Kiwis) enjoy generous annual leave entitlements and high overall happiness scores.

Guide to employment in New Zealand
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6. Poland

Overall index score: 70.26

Although Poland has a rich cultural history and is not always famed for its work-life balance — with many organisations favouring hierarchy and a cultural emphasis on “punktualność jest złotem” (punctuality is golden) — it remains one of the more affordable countries to raise children, offering a low cost of living, reasonably priced childcare and significant state contributions to family benefits.

Alongside fairly generous statutory maternity and paternity leave packages, parents in Poland may share up to 32 weeks of parental leave. However, the country does not legally recognise LGBTQ+ couples in the same way, so same-sex parents are not afforded equivalent rights.

Poland employment guide
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7. Italy

Overall index score: 66.90

Many admire the Italian way of life: superb cuisine, a cultural heritage steeped in art and fashion, and generally favourable weather. Family plays a central role in Italian society — households tend to be close-knit and there is a strong focus on spending time together.

Workplaces in Italy are often quite hierarchical, with a 'work hard, play hard' mentality, yet the country remains broadly positive for working parents thanks to a comparatively low cost of living and affordable childcare. Italian parents can make use of nine months of leave, with three months allocated to each parent and the remaining three months shared between them.

Italy employment guide
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8. France

Overall index score: 66.43

Like their neighbours in Italy, the French are known for enjoying the good life. Life in France often centres on savouring small pleasures, and the country is also noted for maintaining a healthy balance between life and work, with one of the shortest average working weeks in Europe.

France offers the most generous statutory annual leave of any country in our ranking and makes the largest financial contribution to family benefits, although relatively high living costs and notable childcare fees temper these advantages.

France employment guide
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9. Germany

Overall index score: 65.57

As one of Europe's most populous nations, Germany's character is often linked to precision and pragmatism. These traits can shape workplace norms — Germans typically have longer average working weeks than several neighbours — yet the country still provides reasonable support for working families.

In particular, Germany devotes a significant share of GDP to family-related benefits and generally records lower childcare costs than countries such as France and the United Kingdom. There is not a single government-funded healthcare system; however, most residents are enrolled in statutory health insurance.

Germany employment guide
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10. Japan

Overall index score: 61.85

Completing the top 10 is the highest-ranked Asian country in our list. Japanese workplace culture is often marked by intense dedication to one's career, with long hours common — a factor that contributed to its lower placing in our 2023 Japan is often characterized by extreme dedication to one’s career — with long working hours common — which is perhaps why it didn’t rank quite so highly in our 2023 Global Life-Work Balance Index, where it ranked 38th out of the 60 countries analysed.

Although Japan's holiday and parental leave provisions are fairly restrictive, the country is regarded as one of the safest places for families. It also has a relatively low average cost of living, and childcare expenses are lower than in most of the countries in our index, making it Asia's most family-oriented nation.

Japan employment guide

Why do parental support policies matter so much?

For working parents, achieving a healthy life-work balance can be especially difficult. Balancing job responsibilities with childcare duties often leaves little time to recuperate. Nearly 9 in 10 families include at least one working parent, underlining the urgent need for employers to recognise the rights of parents at work. Parental support is a key component of a positive workplace culture, helping businesses attract and retain top talent who have — or plan to have — children. Company policies form only part of the solution. In the era of remote working, parents can now relocate their families if one location offers a better future than another.

"Increasingly, we see parents moving to countries they feel can offer the best possible life for their children, and bringing their remote jobs with them. Creating policies for working parents is no longer just a domestic issue within each country but also an issue of attracting the best international talent." Barbara Matthews, Chief People Officer at Remote.

Aspects such as affordable childcare, investment in education and the general cost of living are equally significant for working parents, and different families weigh these factors in different ways — LGBTQIA+ parents, surrogate and intended parents, and adoptive families all have distinct needs. Companies aiming to recruit the world's best international talent will benefit from offering competitive and attractive paid parental leave policies and benefits programmes that include specific provisions to support working parents.

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Why does parental life-work balance matter?

For parents, an employer that recognises the need for flexibility and support at work is crucial, because it enables them to perform effectively as both employees and caregivers. It allows working parents time to adapt to the demands of raising a child and, where relevant, supports their transition back to work after starting a family.

  • A healthy parental life-work balance can curb burnout, since overworked parents are more prone to absence through stress or ill-health.

  • A balanced family life can enhance productivity; parents who have time to recharge tend to be more focused during working hours.

  • Employers that support parents' needs can see improved retention, as current and prospective parents are more likely to stay loyal to family-friendly organisations.

  • Employers who demonstrate a commitment to parental life-work balance may attract a wider pool of candidates, because inclusive policies appeal to potential employees.

  • Organisations that introduce flexible policies for parents can increase agility, enabling them to respond more quickly to unforeseen staffing challenges.

  • Fair, transparent parental policies promote diversity and inclusion by ensuring employees' rights are respected whatever their personal circumstances. Inclusive parenting policies are especially important because family structures vary. Employers should provide parental support irrespective of parents' gender or sexual orientation, or whether a child has joined the family through surrogacy or adoption. Encouragingly, several countries now acknowledge the rights of all parents; nations such as Norway and Germany have parental leave policies that treat adoptive and biological parents equally. Nevertheless, some countries still lag behind and do not yet recognise the rights of LGBTQIA+ couples. Our detailed examination of global parental support highlights how essential fair policies and inclusive workplace cultures are to parents' life-work balance. This extends beyond offering generous parental leave and affordable childcare options to creating workplaces where every family feels respected and supported. As work and family life evolve, it is clear that the route to a healthier, happier workforce involves acknowledging and meeting the particular needs of working parents — thereby setting a global benchmark for parental support that benefits everyone.

Methodology

We analysed index data for 20 leading countries to determine which global players offer the best parental life-work balance for working parents. Countries were chosen on the basis of population and international economic significance — Russia, China, Ukraine and Israel were excluded because of ongoing socio-political concerns. Data collection took place in February 2024. The index took the following metrics into account:

  • Statutory maternity and paternity packages (lowest best)*
  • Statutory annual leave (total days of paid leave, including public holidays)*
  • Safety: Global Peace Index score (lowest best)
  • Cost of living index score (lowest best)
  • Childcare costs: price rankings by country for preschool (or kindergarten), full day, private, monthly for 1 child
  • OECD public expenditure on family benefits, in per cent of GDP (highest best)
  • OECD public expenditure on childcare and pre-primary education, in per cent of GDP (highest best)
  • Healthcare status (rating lowest best)
  • Happiness index (highest best)

Metrics were weighted to reflect relative importance and produce an overall score out of 100 for each country. The direction of weighting (high-to-low or low-to-high) is indicated above. *Where a range was provided, the minimum figure is shown.