Everyone Wants to Move to This Country with the Best Work-Life Balance (No, It’s Not in Europe!)

published Jul 31, 2024
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Aerial view of Russell in New Zealand
Credit: trabantos / Shutterstock

It’s no secret that work-life balance is key to your personal health and happiness. However, achieving that balance isn’t down to you alone — choosing where to live also plays a major role in supporting how well you’re able to show up in both personal and professional settings.  

New research from Remote on the Global Work-Life Balance Index for 2024 has determined the countries all around the globe with the best work-life balance, basing its assessments and findings on a number of factors, including minimum wage, healthcare, LGBTQ+ inclusivity, and parental and sick leave. This year Remote included additional metrics, including employee safety, to its findings.

In order to put together its list, Remote assessed 60 GDP countries to find which has the best work-life balance in 2024. As more and more countries offer opportunities abroad (like Japan’s digital nomad visa and Italy’s new digital nomad visa, to name a few) and offer incentives to get workers to move there, you might just be convinced to make the move.

New Zealand came in first for the second year in a row on Remote’s list, with an overall index score of 80.76 out of 100. The Kiwi nation offers an annual leave entitlement of 32 days and is considered one of the safest countries in the world. Its stunning scenery and laid-back culture don’t hurt, either. In the last year, New Zealand made a major push to get people to move to Wellington by launching a careers site aimed at Americans looking to move abroad

Second place went to Ireland, which made the top 10 for the first time with an overall index score of 77.89 out of 100. The “Emerald Isle” boasts a government-funded universal healthcare system, as well as one of the highest minimum wages, according to Remote’s index of countries, at €11.30 per hour.

Belgium was named third on Remote’s report, and the European nation earned a high place, thanks to its updated sickness policies, which revert employees’ sick days to holiday time and give them a right to guaranteed pay. Meanwhile, its average hours worked per week is a mere 35.

Here’s the full top 10 list of countries with the best work-life balance.

  1. New Zealand
  2. Ireland
  3. Belgium
  4. Denmark
  5. Canada
  6. Germany
  7. Finland
  8. Australia
  9. Norway
  10. Spain

You can read Remote’s full report here.