Summarised by Centrist
New Zealand has once again been named the best country in the world for work-life balance, topping Remote’s Global Work-Life Balance Index for the third year in a row.
The index evaluates 60 countries by GDP across a range of quality-of-life indicators, including paid leave, public safety, happiness, inclusivity, and average working hours.
New Zealand scored 86.87 out of 100, a six-point increase from the previous year. It performed strongly across most categories, with high marks for public happiness, statutory leave, safety, and minimum wage, which is the second highest among ranked nations.
Ireland and Belgium placed second and third, respectively. Scandinavian countries like Norway, Denmark and Finland also featured in the top 10, alongside Canada and Australia.
Remote’s index blends social policy with broader lifestyle factors to rank overall balance, but includes limited data on productivity or economic output.