2025 global life-work balance index

Overall index score: 86.59

If you’re planning to move abroad for work in 2025, few places compare with New Zealand. In fact, “The Land of the Long White Cloud” (the English rendering of the Māori name Aotearoa) keeps the top spot in our index for the third straight year, improving its 2024 score in part because the minimum wage rose slightly.

What makes New Zealand so supportive of life–work balance? Being surrounded by varied, breathtaking landscapes helps, but while it isn’t number one on every single indicator, it posts consistently strong results across the study — especially for statutory annual leave, public happiness, safety, and minimum wage (where it ranks second-highest among the countries reviewed).

Hard work is valued in Kiwi culture, but 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 keeps its #2 position in 2025. Famous for its warm, welcoming people and associations with St. Paddy’s Day, the country — alongside Austria — ranks among the safest places to live and work in our analysis.

The Emerald Isle performs well across the board, offering a comparatively high minimum wage and a generous maternity leave scheme versus many countries (26 weeks at a 70% income replacement rate). Workplace culture in Ireland typically balances hard work with a genuine sense of community and camaraderie.

Overall index score: 75.91

Having secured a top-three spot after sharing the position with Denmark last year, life–work balance is becoming as much a signature of Belgian life as chocolate, waffles and beer — not least because Belgium has one of Europe’s highest minimum wages (only the United Kingdom and Germany score higher).

Belgium also posts strong results on statutory sick pay and maternity payment rates, and its happiness rating sits among Europe’s best at 6.91/10. Average working weeks are relatively short too, at 34.1 hours.

Overall index score: 74.37

Up two places from 2024, Germany rises to fourth in our 2025 life–work balance index. While punctuality and professionalism are often cited as “German values,” there’s also a clear focus on working smarter rather than longer — which helps explain why Germany is regarded as having one of Europe’s better life–work balances.

Several elements boosted Germany’s 2025 score, but a key change is an increase in statutory sick pay, particularly for parents. We also note a small rise in overall happiness, a reduction in average weekly hours, and improved LGBTQ+ inclusivity since 2024.

Overall index score: 74.20

Recording the largest jump among our top ten, Norway moves from ninth in 2024 to fifth this year. The main reason is an extension of parental leave options (Norway provides the most generous parental leave among the countries studied), and there’s also been a modest drop in working hours. At 32.6 hours, Norway has one of Europe’s shortest average work weeks.

Norwegian work culture emphasizes equality and collaboration, reflected in its ranking as the most LGBTQ+-inclusive country on our list. Like many Nordic neighbours, Norway is also regarded as one of Europe’s happiest nations.

Overall index score: 73.76

Danes have long been linked with a harmonious separation of personal and professional life. Many credit Denmark’s strong focus on balancing work and life for its consistent ranking among the world’s happiest countries — and the Danes’ affection for the hygge way of living may also contribute.

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

Overall index score: 72.89

Canada may have slipped two places this year, but it remains the only country from the Americas in the top ten for life–work balance. In stark contrast to its southern neighbour (the United States placed 59th out of the 60 countries reviewed), “The Great White North” posts solid scores across many of the measures in our 2025 study.

For example, Canada ranks among the world leaders for statutory sick pay and performs well on public safety and LGBTQ+ inclusivity. Plus, one thing it has that the U.S. does not is a universal, government-funded healthcare system.

Workplaces in Canada value punctuality and reliability, yet employees generally keep a healthy separation between work and family life.

Overall index score: 71.53

Australia is commonly perceived as very laid back, with Aussies often adopting a “no-worries” attitude. That mentality shows up in workplaces that prioritise openness and egalitarianism. The country continues to emphasise employee wellbeing, retaining the number eight spot for life–work balance for a second consecutive year.

While Australia trails its Antipodean neighbour New Zealand across most categories, it has the highest minimum wage among the countries we reviewed — the equivalent of $18.12 in U.S. dollars. Unsurprisingly for a sunny, relaxed nation, Australians work relatively short hours, averaging 32.29 per week compared with many other countries.

Overall index score: 71.42

Closing out the top ten is Finland, “officially” the happiest country in the world in 2025, according to a recent study. In fact, the Finns have been ranked the world’s most upbeat nation for the past eight years. That status is often linked to high levels of societal trust and personal freedom, along with a strong connection to nature and outdoor life.

Finland has dropped two places in our global life–work balance ranking this year (partly due to a slight fall in LGBTQ+ inclusivity) but remains in the top 10 thanks to its happiness score, generous statutory annual leave, high sick-pay rates, and a relatively short average working week.

Overall index score: 70.53

Is the traditional Spanish “siesta” stereotype outdated or inaccurate? Possibly (it’s thought that most Spaniards never take a midday nap), yet the country still maintains a generally healthy attitude to work and life, keeping its place in the top 10 for a second year.

Although Spain’s public happiness score is relatively low compared with some other European nations, it performs strongly across most of the factors measured. Of the 60 countries we analysed, Spain ranks as the second-most LGBTQ+-friendly. Spanish workers also benefit from generous annual leave entitlements and maternity payment contributions.