Why is Europe the Leading Continent for Life-Work Balance?

The conversation around how we live and work is evolving all the time.

Remote, the human resources technology platform, recognises this no longer as work-life balance but now as life-work balance.

It says that in a world of rapid tech advancement and evolving societal expectations, life now must come first and work should fit around it, not the other way round.

Remote recently released its Global Life-Work Balance Index, showing that Europe is the leading continent for work-life balance.

The index shows that seven European countries made the top ten in 2025, with the top 20 holding 16 European nations.

Across Europe, the firm says that governments, businesses and workers are redefining what it means to work well.

Taking the findings from the Global Index, the platform has reviewed a number of important workforce factors - including statutory leave entitlement, minimum wage, healthcare access and average working hours - to rank European countries out of 100.

Ranking of the top five is: 

1. Ireland 
2. Iceland
3. Belgium
4. Denmark
5. Germany

Changing priorities

For the first time in 22 years, life-work balance ranks as the top priority over salary in the international recruitment company Randstad’s annual review of thousands of employees.

However, Remote highlights that while some nations are implementing strong employee-centric policies, others have more outdated approaches. 

Barbara Matthews, Chief People Officer at Remote, says: “In 2025, the idea that productivity must come at the expense of our health or our personal time is being challenged in a serious way. 

“This is especially the case across Europe, where policies are starting to reflect the simple truth that people are not machines. But life-work balance is about more than just working fewer hours.”

Europe’s strongest performers

Remote reports that Ireland leads the way for the second year running, ranking at an index of 82.89.

The country’s score has improved by over four points, which the firm puts down to an increased public safety score - ranked by the Global Peace Index - and a shorter than average working week.

Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Finland all rank in the top 10, with the Nordic countries known for being among some of the happiest countries in the world.

Ranking second, Iceland has an annual leave entitlement of 40 days including public holidays.

After placing fourth last year, Remote reports that Belgium breaks into the top three for the first time since the study was launched in 2022.

This is said to be due to a significant jump in minimum wage - now one of the highest behind Luxembourg, the UK and Germany - which is the equivalent of US$14.58 per hour.

Among some of the other successes that Remote has highlighted, the Netherlands has the shortest average working week of any country in Europe at 30.5 hours - compared to Montenegrin employees working an average of 43.5.

Finland remains the happiest country in the continent - emphasising the importance of gender equality and social support.

What does work-life balance really mean in Europe?

The company recognises that this means different things to people from different cultures. 

The idea of the study is to highlight the core statutory benefits and workplace systems that support the balance.

This being said, there are many external factors that Remote outlines which affect it. These include:

• With the increase of hybrid working and remote work comes the concept of increased flexibility, but as homes become offices it can be harder to switch off
• Rising living costs, inflation and job security are forcing people to overextend to stay afloat
• Most households are juggling work with some form of care in 2025, whether this be raising children or supporting aging family members, and without support policies something has to give
• Younger generations entering workforces are reportedly rejecting hustle culture, and forward-thinking companies are listening to the want for living not just working

Barbara added: “Employees must be given the time, space, and trust to live fully. 

“When people feel like their lives outside of work are respected, they show up with more focus and resilience. And that’s clearly good for business.”