Aotearoa has topped the list AGAIN, for apparently nailing the balance between mahi and our personal time.
According to Remote, NZ has taken out the number one spot for best work-life balance in the world.
Whether or not we’d all personally agree is a whole other conversation for another day. But if spending time at the coffee machine and yarning with our workmates counts… then sure!
Turns out, Remote actually look at things like our minimum wage, sick, annual and parental leave, healthcare funding, public happiness, and how inclusive each country is.
Each country is given a 'work-life balance' score, and NZ scored a solid 86.87 out of 100, ahead of other constant frontrunners like Ireland, Belgium and Germany.
Here’s the full list of Remote's top ten best countries 2025:
New Zealand (86.87)
Ireland (81.17)
Belgium (75.91)
Germany (74.65)
Norway (74.20)
Denmark (73.76)
Canada (73.46)
Australia (72.10)
Spain (71.94)
Finland (70.86)
Remote reckons we’ve got our high minimum wage and leave entitlements to thank.
We’ve even improved on our score since last year, bumping up a solid 6.11 points, reportedly thanks to our increase in those base wages.
I think some Kiwis would argue the rising cost of groceries makes some of us question how far that wage really stretches.
And even with the win, not every Kiwi is feeling the balance - especially with recent chats about cutting back our sick leave.
Last month, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon floated the idea of reducing our current 10-day sick leave entitlements back to five days - the entitlements prior to 2021.
Since then, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden has confirmed there are no plans to move forward with the suggestion, but the comments still raised a few eyebrows. I wonder if we'll maintain our top spot for a fourth year in 2026... ?
