The 2025 Global Work-Life Balance rankings are out – here's where Australia lands
Remote has just dropped its third annual Global Life-Work Balance Index (yep, that 'life-work' flip is intentional), which assesses the top 60 GDP countries on nine factors: annual leave, sick pay, maternity leave, minimum wage, working hours, healthcare, safety, happiness and LGBTQ+ inclusivity, granting each a score out of 100. For the third year running, our neighbours in New Zealand claimed the crown for the best work-life balance. They scored an impressive 86.87 out of 100 overall, which is a six-point improvement from last year.
Australia held onto its spot in the global top ten for work-life balance, ranking eighth for the second year in a row. While our overall score dipped slightly from 72.10 in 2024 to 71.35, we're still ahead of major players like the United States, Spain and Finland. That said, we're trailing behind the likes of Dublin, Brussels and Berlin – so there's still room for improvement.
We Aussies are pretty proud of our laid-back reputation, and according to the report, our work culture broadly reflects that 'no-worries' attitude to life. Among the top ten countries for work-life balance, Australians clock the fewest working hours on average – just 32.29 hours a week. Add to that the highest minimum wage of any of the top 60 GDP countries (USD $18.12), and it's clear we're doing something right. For comparison, that's quite a bit above what workers earn in the top three ranked countries, including New Zealand (USD $16.42), Ireland (USD $13.96) and Canada (USD $11.60).
However, Australia has room to improve when it comes to annual leave and parental support. Aussie workers get 30 days of annual leave, which is decent, but still five days less than Oslo (ranked fifth) and Copenhagen (ranked sixth), and two fewer than New Zealand. Further, new parents in Australia receive just 12 weeks of paid maternity leave at minimum wage, while across the ditch, New Zealand offers a generous 26 weeks at full salary.
A comparison like this is handy, as it shows us what we can do to improve our work-life balance as a nation. And hey, while we're at it, how about we rally for that four-day work week too?
These are the 10 best countries for work-life balance
New Zealand
Ireland
Belgium
Germany
Norway
Denmark
Canada
Australia
Spain
Finland
😱 We're (finally) making moves: Australia just achieved its best gender equality ranking
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