NZ Tops Global Life-Work Balance Index Again

For the third year running, Aotearoa has nabbed the top spot in Remote’s 2025 Global Life-Work Balance Index—and it’s not just the scenery doing the heavy lifting. Scoring a solid 86.87 out of 100, New Zealand outpaced 59 other high-GDP nations, thanks to strong performance across key wellbeing indicators like annual leave, minimum wage, safety, and public happiness.

Remote’s annual index crunches the numbers on everything from work hours to LGBTQ+ inclusivity, revealing which countries really let people live outside their job descriptions. NZ didn’t top every single category, but it performed consistently well across the board. Ireland and Belgium followed in second and third, while Australia came in eighth (with the world’s highest minimum wage but a few social support gaps).

Putting life before work isn’t just idealistic—it’s good policy. As Remote’s CPO put it, the goal is thriving people, not just productive employees.