The Best Countries for Work-Life Balance in 2025

In a world increasingly dominated by hustle culture, 80-hour workweeks, and digital burnout, the question many are now asking is: Where can I actually have a life—not just a job?

The 2025 Global Life-Work Balance Index compiled by Remote, a global HR solutions provider, aims to answer that by ranking the world’s top countries for work-life balance.

This comprehensive analysis evaluates statutory leave, maternity benefits, healthcare access, minimum wage, happiness, safety, LGBTQ+ rights, and working hours to provide a score out of 100 for each country.

Let’s dive deep into this global ranking, explore why certain countries stand out, and what lessons can be drawn by employers, governments, and employees alike.

Top 5 Countries for Work-Life Balance

Rank	Country	Index Score	Statutory Leave (Days)	Maternity Leave	Min. Wage (USD)	Healthcare System
1	New Zealand	86.9	32	26 weeks, 100% pay	$16.42	Universal
2	Ireland	81.2	30	26 weeks, 70% pay	$13.96	Universal
3	Belgium	75.9	30	15 weeks, 75% pay	$14.58	Public-Private
4	Germany	74.7	30	14 weeks, 100% pay	$15.16	Public-Private
5	Norway	74.2	35	49 weeks, 100% pay	$0	Universal

New Zealand tops the list with a near-perfect mix of paid leave, decent minimum wage, and a universal healthcare system. Ireland follows closely, boasting strong maternity policies and healthcare coverage. Interestingly, several European nations dominate the top 10, thanks to their robust social safety nets and worker protections.

What Makes These Countries Stand Out?

1. Generous Statutory Leave

Countries like Austria (38 days), Spain (36 days), and Finland (36 days) mandate over five weeks of paid time off. In stark contrast, Canada offers just 17 days on average, despite scoring high on other indices like quality of life.

According to the OECD, more vacation time is associated with lower stress and higher worker satisfaction, which in turn boosts productivity and creativity.¹

2. Paid Maternity Leave

Norway’s 49 weeks at full pay is unmatched and reflects its deep investment in family welfare. Scandinavian countries consistently offer the longest parental leave, with Sweden, Denmark, and Finland also providing 14–28 weeks of paid maternity.

The US, notably, offers zero federally mandated paid maternity leave, which excludes it from the list entirely.

3. Living Wages and Social Equality

While Norway and Denmark have no national minimum wage, collective bargaining ensures high base salaries. Australia ($18.12/hour) offers the highest minimum wage among the ranked nations, making it an attractive option for skilled migrants and residents alike.

4. Universal Healthcare

Work-life balance isn’t only about how many hours you work—it’s about the quality of life outside work. Countries with universal healthcare systems, such as New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, and Denmark, provide peace of mind that’s hard to quantify.

Work-Life Balance vs. Economic Power

Interestingly, economic power does not directly correlate with better work-life balance. The United States, China, and Japan—three of the world’s largest economies—don’t appear in this ranking.

Why? Long work hours, limited paid leave, lack of universal healthcare, and inconsistent maternity policies bring down their scores.

What About the UK?

Metric	Value
Index Score	69.7
Statutory Leave	28 Days
Paid Maternity Leave	39 weeks, 100% pay
Minimum Wage	$15.67/hour
Healthcare	Universal (NHS)

The UK performs fairly well, especially with its generous maternity leave and national minimum wage. However, compared to Scandinavian countries, it offers fewer holidays and faces rising NHS backlogs, which may affect overall quality of life perceptions.

How Important Is Maternity Leave?

Consider this:

• UNICEF ranks Sweden, Norway, and Iceland as the most family-friendly countries in the world.
  

• Studies show that mothers in countries with paid leave are more likely to return to work, boosting national productivity.
  

• Paid leave reduces postpartum depression and improves infant health outcomes.

Interesting Trends & Takeaways

Countries With No Statutory Minimum Wage:

• Norway

• Denmark

• Finland

These nations rely on strong labor unions and collective agreements to ensure fair wages, and they consistently rank among the happiest populations worldwide.³

Highest Minimum Wage:

• Australia leads with $18.12/hour, followed closely by UK ($15.67) and Germany ($15.16).

Lowest Minimum Wage:

• Hungary ($4.42)

• Czech Republic ($4.79)

• Portugal ($5.60)

Yet, these countries still made the list thanks to generous leave policies and healthcare.

Countries at the Bottom of the Ranking

Country	Index Score
Hungary	63.4
Czech Republic	63.1
Sweden	62.9

While Sweden may seem like a surprising inclusion at the bottom, it scores lower here due to its shorter maternity leave (14 weeks, 75% pay) compared to its Nordic neighbours.

This reinforces that no country is perfect, and rankings are subject to shifting priorities and evolving policies.

The Bigger Picture: Culture & Values

Work-life balance is not just a policy decision—it’s cultural.

In New Zealand, a national campaign encourages employers to adopt 4-day workweeks and hybrid models. In Germany, labor laws prohibit work emails outside working hours. In France, the “right to disconnect” is enshrined in law.

Meanwhile, in parts of Asia and the US, long hours and presenteeism still dominate, often to the detriment of mental health and personal relationships.

Global Best Practices for Employers

If you're a business leader, HR manager, or founder, here’s what top-ranked nations teach us:

✅ Prioritise Mental Health – Offer counselling and wellness stipends ✅ Offer Remote and Flexible Hours – Results > Hours ✅ Reinforce the Right to Disconnect – Respect personal boundaries ✅ Invest in Parental Leave – Help employees thrive at home and at work ✅ Provide Health & Life Insurance – Especially where universal systems don’t exist

The Future of Work-Life Balance

By 2030, Gen Z and Millennials will make up over two-thirds of the global workforce.⁴ These cohorts value purpose, flexibility, and mental well-being over traditional perks.

Countries and companies that can align with these values will win the global talent race.

Final Word

The best countries for work-life balance in 2025 reflect a global shift in priorities: from profit maximisation to human well-being. Whether it’s New Zealand’s universal care, Norway’s parental leave, or Germany’s work boundaries, there’s a clear lesson:

Success isn’t just measured by GDP—but by the quality of life of the people powering it.

Sources

1. OECD – “How’s Life?” Well-being Indicators: https://www.oecd.org/statistics/how-s-life.htm

2. World Bank – "The Effects of Paid Maternity Leave": https://documents.worldbank.org

3. World Happiness Report 2024: https://worldhappiness.report

4. Deloitte – Gen Z & Millennial Survey 2024: https://www2.deloitte.com Risk Disclaimer:

   The content provided in this article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice or a recommendation to invest.

   While the information is based on sources believed to be reliable and current as of the publication date, no warranty is given as to its accuracy or completeness. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investments can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than the amount invested. Readers should seek independent financial advice from an FCA-authorised adviser before making any investment decisions.

Alpesh Patel OBE

www.campaignforamillion.com