Parental Life-Work Balance Index

Overall index score: 79.57

Shining brightly like the Northern Lights — which are often visible in the skies above this Scandinavian country — Norway tops our list with an overall index score of 79.57. The Norwegian working culture is characterised by a strong focus on equality and work-life balance, with many companies offering flexible work hours and the option to work remotely.

In addition to one of the most generous parental leave policies worldwide (working mums are offered 54 weeks of paid maternity leave), Norway also spends more than many other nations on family benefits. And while the country has a very high comparable cost of living, it boasts a universal healthcare system and a relatively ample annual leave entitlement.

Overall index score: 78.01

Sharing a 1,600km border with Norway, Sweden sits just behind its neighbour when it comes to parental life-work balance. The country has a strong commitment to workplace wellness — with many businesses offering wellness allowances — while the Swedish workplace culture is synonymous with openness, trust, and a lack of hierarchy.

Sweden is among the countries with the best childcare overall, spending more of its GDP on pre-primary education than any other nation while also setting very affordable childcare costs. The country also has a strong commitment to gender equality in its parental leave policies, becoming the first nation to introduce gender-neutral parental leave in 1974.

Overall index score: 77.23

Confirming that Scandinavia sets the benchmark when it comes to parental support in the workplace, Denmark rounds out the top three in our index. The Danes are considered to be the happiest people in the world, and this is surely at least partly down to the country’s healthy attitude to work — with outcomes more important than when or where work takes place.

As evidenced in our previous European Life-Work Balance Index, life-work balance is a foundation of Danish culture, with the Danes enjoying a generous statutory annual leave entitlement. The country is also considered one of the safest places for families, while public expenditure on childcare, family benefits, and pre-primary education is higher than most other nations.

Overall index score: 72.62

Spain’s high ranking here is unsurprising given it took the second spot in our 2023 Global Work-Life Balance Index, owing to a healthy overall working culture that prioritises wellbeing — not to mention its 3,000 hours of average annual sunshine. Many Spaniards still enjoy a mid-afternoon siesta, allowing them to recharge before returning to work later in the day.

No country in our index can boast more generous combined maternity and paternity leave policies (with 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.

Overall index score: 71.76

The highest-ranked non-European country on our list is the Antipodean nation of New Zealand. Voted the world’s 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.

While childcare tends to be quite expensive, New Zealand has one of the highest minimum wages worldwide. It’s also seen as one of the safest countries to live in, making it ideal for family life. New Zealanders (or Kiwis, as they’re affectionately known) also enjoy generous annual leave entitlement and a high overall happiness score.

Overall index score: 70.26

With a rich cultural history, Poland is not typically renowned for its work-life balance — most organisations favour hierarchy and Poles believe punktualność jest złotem (punctuality is golden) but is one of the most affordable places to raise children, with a low cost of living, economical childcare costs, and a high state contribution to family benefits.

In addition to fairly generous statutory maternity and paternity leave packages, parents in Poland may also share up to 32 weeks of parental leave. It’s important to note, however, that the country does not recognise LGBTQ+ couples and therefore same-sex parents are not afforded the same rights.

Overall index score: 66.90

Many of us are surely envious of the Italian lifestyle. With some of the world’s finest cuisine, a rich cultural heritage synonymous with art and fashion, and a favourable climate for most of the year, Italians also know the importance of family — most families in Italy are close-knit, and there’s a strong emphasis on spending time together.

The Italian working culture is typically quite hierarchical, with a work hard, play hard mentality, but the country is generally favourable for working parents due to a relatively low cost of living and affordable childcare costs. Italian parents can take advantage of nine months of leave, with three months allocated to each parent and the remaining three months shared between them.

Overall index score: 66.43

Like their border-sharing Italian counterparts, the French have a reputation for knowing how to live the good life. The lifestyle in France tends to be about savouring small moments, but the country is also known for striking a healthy balance between life and work, with one of the shortest average working weeks of any European nation.

France boasts the most generous statutory annual leave entitlement of any country on our list, while it also makes the highest financial contribution to family benefits — though this is somewhat offset by a reasonably high cost of living and fairly steep childcare costs.

Overall index score: 65.57

One of Europe's largest and most populous countries, the German spirit is often associated with precision and pragmatism. These characteristics may blend into the working culture — Germans have longer average working weeks than many of their European neighbours — but the country still caters reasonably well to working families.

In particular, Germany spends a high proportion of its GDP on family-related benefits, while also having reasonably low childcare costs compared to nations such as France and the United Kingdom. There is no government-funded healthcare system; however, most residents are enrolled in a statutory health insurance program.

Overall index score: 61.85

Rounding up the top 10 is the highest-ranked Asian nation on our list. The working culture in Japan is often characterised 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, coming in at #38 of the 60 countries we analysed.

However, while Japan’s holiday and parental leave policies are quite restrictive, the country is considered one of the safest places for families. It also has a relatively low average cost of living, while childcare costs are lower than the majority of nations included in our index, making it Asia’s most family-centric nation.