Top 10 countries with best work-life balance: Major economies including US, China do not make it do the list; what is India's score?
Did you know that only two of the world's top ten largest economies, Germany and Canada, feature in the top 10 of the Global Life-Work Balance Index 2025? Despite their economic weight, most major economies lag behind smaller nations when it comes to supporting employees with fair leave policies, manageable work hours and access to essential services.
Annually published by global HR firm Remote, the report analyses 60 high-GDP countries to assess how well they balance professional obligations with quality of life.
Unlike traditional 'work-life balance' approaches, this index reverses the emphasis, focusing instead on "life-work balance", the idea that life should come first, and work should support rather than dominate it.
Using weighted criteria such as statutory paid leave, minimum wage, maternity benefits, healthcare access, safety, LGBTQ+ rights, and working hours, each country was given a score out of 100.
The goal is to understand how nations enable people to live and work well, and which ones are falling behind.
Top 10 Countries for Life-Work Balance in 2025
Rank
Country (Capital)
Region
Index Score
Avg. Weekly Hours
Statutory Leave
Minimum Wage (USD/hr)
Healthcare Type
1
New Zealand (Wellington)
Oceania
86.87
33.00
32
16.42
Universal government-funded
2
Ireland (Dublin)
Europe
81.17
34.30
30
13.96
Universal government-funded
3
Belgium (Brussels)
Europe
75.91
34.10
30
14.58
Public insurance
4
Germany (Berlin)
Europe
74.65
33.20
30
15.16
Public-private social insurance
5
Norway (Oslo)
Europe
74.20
32.60
35
0.00
Universal government-funded
6
Denmark (Copenhagen)
Europe
73.76
32.50
35
0.00
Universal government-funded
7
Canada (Ottawa)
Americas
73.46
35.20
17
11.60
Universal government-funded
8
Australia (Canberra)
Oceania
72.10
32.29
30
18.12
Public-private insurance
9
Spain (Madrid)
Europe
71.94
36.30
36
8.39
Universal government-funded
10
Finland (Helsinki)
Europe
70.86
33.80
36
0.00
Universal government-funded
New Zealand retained its crown as the world's best place for life-work balance, improving its score by 6 points from 2024. With generous paid leave, universal healthcare, and strong public safety, the country also saw a minimum wage bump that boosted its ranking.
Ireland ranked second with strong maternity policies, a well-funded healthcare system, and an above-average minimum wage.
Its performance was helped by a high safety rating and stable working hours.
Belgium came in third with a reliable public insurance model, competitive wages, and over 30 paid leave days annually. High inclusivity and good safety metrics added to its score.
Germany, ranked fourth, offers solid statutory leave, high wages, and excellent healthcare through a mixed system. It also scores well on inclusivity and working hours.
Norway jumped into fifth place, the highest among Nordic countries. Extended parental leave and low working hours helped boost its life-work balance score significantly this year.
Denmark, just behind Norway, continued to perform strongly on happiness and healthcare. Although it does not have a statutory minimum wage, collective agreements ensure high worker welfare.
Canada, ranked seventh, offers universal healthcare and good safety ratings.
While its paid leave is comparatively lower (17 days), it compensates with inclusivity and legal protections.
Australia, at eighth, combines high wages and short work hours with solid maternity benefits. However, its healthcare is partially private, slightly lowering its score.
Spain secured ninth with the highest number of paid leave days in the top 10. Despite longer work hours, strong healthcare and safety ensured a good ranking.
Finland rounded off the top 10, leading the world in happiness while offering universal healthcare and excellent public services, even though minimum wages are not legally mandated.
India
India ranked 42nd out of 60, scoring just 45.81. While it offers 35 days of statutory leave and 100% paid maternity benefits, major gaps exist in healthcare access, safety, LGBTQ+ rights, and overall happiness.
With average weekly work hours at 45.72, among the highest globally, and low public investment in employee wellbeing, India struggles to match leading nations.
Here are other notable highlights from other countries
Argentina made the biggest leap, climbing to 14th thanks to a new minimum wage and improved public happiness.
The UK recovered to 11th after a wage hike and shorter working weeks.
The Netherlands had the shortest average work week at just 30.5 hours.
Finland, Denmark, and Norway dominated the global happiness index.
Austria and Ireland were deemed the safest countries.
The US continued its decline, dropping to 59th, due to zero statutory leave, limited maternity support, and lower safety and inclusivity scores.
Nigeria, with poor healthcare, safety, and long hours, ranked last.
How the index was calculated
The 2025 Life-Work Balance Index analysed data from the top 60 GDP nations using metrics such as:
Statutory annual leave and maternity benefits
Minimum wage and sick pay
Healthcare quality
LGBTQ+ inclusivity and public safety
Happiness scores
Average working hours per week
Each metric was given a weight based on relevance, and countries were assigned an overall score out of 100. Lower scores in hours worked and safety rankings were considered better, while higher values in leave, inclusivity, and pay improved scores.
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