Every year the agency Remote publish a European Work-Life Balance Indexand in the edition 2025 highlighted the 10 countries in Europe that obtained the best results in the analysis of various work-related factors that coexist with the daily life of family and personal demands.
To prepare the ranking, the country’s population is taken into account and a representative number of employees in a dependency relationship are surveyed, who can testify to the conditions of their workplace.
They are consulted about the right to vacation legal annuals, the minimum wageaccess to medical care and the work day average, the license maternity paid, leave disease and the average hours worked.
By combining all these factors, a score from 1 to 100 is assigned to each European country. On its website, Remote indicates that the metric focuses on Europe because when carrying out the Global Work-Life Balance Index, it was the leading continent, with seven European countries in the top ten on the list.
Madrid occupies tenth place in the European Work-Life Balance Index 2025. (Photo: Clarín Archive)In descending order, from last to first, below are the 10 countries with the best scores in the European Work-Life Balance Index 2025:
10. Spain
The city of Madrid obtained a score of 70.13%, and thus Spain secured tenth place. One drawback noted by respondents is that it has a «long average work week» compared to many of its European counterparts, totaling 36.3 hours.
However, Spain’s 31-day paid annual leave policy is one of the most generous on the continent. With a large community of expatriates who found an opportunity in the country to relocate and start over, the results show a high average of general well-being in terms of work.
9.Portugal
Lisbon rose three places this year, since in 2024 it was in twelfth place. With a score of 70, 67%, according to respondents, Portugal prioritizes a healthy work culture that balances professional responsibility with time for friends, leisure and family outside the workplace.
The Bica funicular in Portugal, one of the most photographed in the world. (Photo: Clarín Archive)You are entitled to 35 days of paid vacation, including holidays, and its strength is public safety, as it ranks fifth in the general classification, behind Switzerland, Austria, Ireland and Iceland.
8.Norway
Oslo, the capital of Norway, fell two places in the 2025 ranking, but study participants considered the country to be synonymous with «a strong and inclusive work culture» and assigned it a percentage of 71.77%.
Oslo, the capital of Norway, is ranked 8. (Photo: Clarín Archive)Its average of 32.6 hours of workload per week is one of the most valued points. The country is also considered the second most LGBTQ+-friendly in Europe, behind Iceland.
Norway is also among the most satisfied nations in Europe, with a happiness index of 9.39 on a scale where 10 is the maximum.
7. Finland
With a score of 71.84%, the average workweek in Finland is one of the shortest in Europe, totaling 33.8 hours. It also has a very high happiness index, since free time is considered essential to leading a healthy life.
Helsinki Cathedral in Finland. (Photo: Pixabay)The right to 38 days of legal annual leave and its strong social support system are some of its characteristics. It has been «the happiest country in the world» for eight years in multiple surveys, due to its low crime rates, high-quality education, and gender equality.
6.Slovenia
Slovenia rose three places in 2025, with a total score of 71.89. In the capital, Ljubljana, fairly generous statutory leave entitlements and healthy rates of sick pay and maternity leave stand out.
Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, in sixth place in the European Work-Life Balance Index 2025. (Photo: Pixabay)It is considered one of the safest European countries to live in, and in contrast it has an average working week of 37.6 hours, longer than any other of the top ten countries.
5.Germany
With an average work week of 33.2 hours, Berlin rose two places under consideration to 2024. Pollsters highlight an increase in statutory sick pay, as well as marked improvements in public safety, happiness and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Germany also has one of the highest minimum wages of the continent, 12.82 euros per hour from January 1, 2025, which translates into more than 22,000 Argentine pesos per hour.
A panoramic view of Frankfurt, Germany. (Photo: AP)
4.Denmark
In the words of Danish-born actor Mads Mikkelsen, Danes are seen as «masters at keeping life and work in perfect balance.»
With 32.5 hours, Copenhagen It has the second shortest average work week in Europe, after the Netherlands, which leads in that item.
Denmark’s policies on statutory annual leave, sickness benefits and maternity benefits are also among the most prominent in Europe. In terms of public happiness, Denmark is behind Finland and on the same level as Iceland.
The results of the European Work-Life Balance Index 2025: the top 10. (Photo: www.remote.com)
3.Belgium
Belgium moved from fourth to third place from one year to the next, and while it doesn’t top the rankings in any specific metric, it scores well on all items, with a score of 76.42%.
Brussels It has an average workweek of 34.1 hours, and has one of the highest public happiness scores outside the Nordic region.
2.Iceland
With an overall work-life balance score of 77.98, Iceland came in second. In its capital, Reykjavík, they offer 40 days of annual leave.
Although it has a small population of 398,000 inhabitants, it is considered the friendliest country for the LGTBIQ+ community. The «Land of Fire and Ice», as it is known for its many volcanoes and glaciers, is one of the happiest countries in terms of overall security and employment.
1.Ireland
The center of Killarney, a city in Ireland. (Photo: Pixabay)As in 2024, Ireland is positioned as the best country in Europe to live and work, with an overall work-life balance score of 82.89 out of 100.
While the cost of living is high, especially in cities like Dublin, they have a national minimum wage of $13.95 per hour, the sixth highest wage in European countries.
