Top 10 countries with the best work-life balance

In today’s fast-paced world, maintaining a proper balance between your professional and personal lives may not come easy. Whether you’re part of the 9-to-5 hustle, or work in more untraditional roles, behind a successful work-life balance are good government initiatives that support the public.

Globally, many countries have been able to achieve a social culture where both career and personal well-being are prioritized. 

Here’s the top 10 countries with the best work-life balance in 2025, according to reports from Remote.

1. New Zealand | Overall index score: 86.87

New Zealand continues to lead the work-life balance list, earning the top-ranking spot for a third consecutive year now. It is the only Pacific country to make the top three ranks. Aside from the country’s overall high ranking, New Zealand also has the second-highest minimum wage out of all the countries on this list. In fact, the government has recently increased minimum wage earlier this year, resulting in these high rankings.

2. Ireland | Overall index score: 81.17 

Ireland not only ranks as the second-best country for work-life balance, but also takes the top spot within Europe. In recent years, one of the biggest initiatives by the Irish government to improve their social standing was the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act of 2023. Through this legislation, the country established new guidelines surrounding topics like remote working arrangements and domestic violence leave. 

3. Belgium | Overall index score: 75.91

Belgium is the final country to make the top three ranks. It previously tied for the third position with Denmark last year. Belgium is also one of the few countries worldwide to issue a legislation that advocates for employees ‘right to disconnect’. The country introduced a law in 2022 that allows civil servants to disconnect from work-related communication (such as calls, texts, and emails) without fear of repercussions. 

4. Germany | Overall index score: 74.65

This year Germany climbed up two spots in the ranking, receiving fourth place in the best work-life balance. Some factors that play a role in Germany’s high ranking includes high rates of paid child sick leave days. As of 2025, parents are entitled to 15 days of paid leave per child, while single parents are offered 30 days per child. The policy applies to children under the age of 12. 

5. Norway | Overall index score: 74.20 

Norway is the final country to make the top five ranks. It is also the country that has improved its ranking the most since last year, climbing up from ninth position to fifth. A major reason attributed to this success is Norway’s parental leave policy. Within this study, the country offers the most generous parental leave of 49 weeks at 100 percent pay.

6. Denmark | Overall index score: 73.76 

Although Denmark’s ranking has dropped by three spots since 2024, the country is still amongst the top 10 for best work-life balance. One of the country’s top quality is the short working weeks. An average of 32.5 hours per week makes Denmark have one of the shortest average work weeks both in Europe and globally. In fact, it’s not uncommon for Danish businesses to temporarily close during the summer, as people head onto vacation.

7. Canada | Overall index score: 73.46 

While Canada made the top five ranks last year, this year’s ranking puts the country at number seven. Yet, it is still the only country in the Americas to make the top 10 list. One area where Canada is working to improve on is child care options. The country began an initiative in 2021 that is dedicated to eventually reducing costs of day care to $10 per day. Working towards this goal, they reduced nearly 50% of fees in 2022. 

8. Australia | Overall index score: 72.10 

Australia is the second Pacific country to make the top 10 list. Compared to last year, the country maintained its position as the eighth best country for work-life balance. Australia also has the highest minimum wage out of the 60 countries analysed in this report. Currently, the minimum wage is equivalent to that of $18.12 US dollars.

9. Spain | Overall index score: 71.94 

Spain has placed ninth for the best work-life balance, rising one spot from the country’s ranking last year. Earlier this year, the country introduced legislation to reduce the working week duration from 40 hours to 37.5 hours. Additionally, Spain offers the same amount of 16 weeks paid maternity and paternity, pointing to the country’s commitment to gender equality. 

10. Finland | Overall index score: 70.86 

Finland is the final country to secure a spot in the top 10 ranks. Although the country’s ranking dropped by three spots since last year, it continues to strive in providing a strong balance between professional and personal matters. One area where the country excels is child care. Finland offers working parents many options for affordable and accessible day care options, often greatly subsidized by the government. 

How does the ranking work? 

In this list, the Remote organisation chose to rank the world’s top 60 GDP nations. They measured a variety of factors like crucial to work-life balance like average working week durations, minimum wage, and maternity leave. However, they also took into account other categories like each country’s overall happiness and safety index ranks. The final score ranks the countries out of 100. 

Mariam Khan is a trainee journalist at Gulf News.