Clocking On: The countries with the best work-life balance

Many people's work and careers play a big part in their lives. Research analysed by Gettysburg College suggests that the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work, equating to roughly a third of our lives spent making a living. Although ‘hustle culture’ has been ingrained in the world of work for centuries—rooted in Britain’s Industrial Revolution and America's leadership in mass production through companies like Ford—more people today are seeking employers that provide a better balance between work and personal life.

As working patterns continue to change and well-being initiatives become more common in the workplace, we wanted to find out how different nations around the world are supporting their workforces in balancing work and leisure time.

To reveal what the work-life balance of employees around the world is really like, we surveyed over 4,200 full-time working adults to discover where in the world employees have the best quality of work that grants them time and energy to enjoy life beyond their ‘clocked-on’ hours. We asked respondents from 22 different countries how many hours they work in the average day, how long their average commute takes, how many hours they typically sleep before a working day, how long they spend on work breaks, and how satisfied they are with their work-life (on a scale of one to ten).

We analysed the data and assigned each data stream a weighting to give each country an overall ‘Work Quality Score’ out of 100. We then ranked the results from highest to lowest, with those scoring closer to 100 potentially being the best countries for prospective employees to emigrate to. If you find this information helpful when moving abroad for better work opportunities, consider using Remitly to send money home.

Key findings

Finland is the country with the best work-life balance, scoring 73 out of 100 in our index.
Almost one-third (30%) of working individuals around the world plan on emigrating in the next five years for a better quality of work.
Workers in the USA, Brazil, Australia and Ireland work the longest average working days, working longer than the OECD average of 36 hours a week.
Brazil, Switzerland and Portugal take the longest breaks throughout the working day, with breaks lasting between 60 and 53 minutes in each of the three countries, on average.
Average commute times to and from work are shortest in the United States, Austria and Finland, averaging around 40 to 41 minutes per day.

The world’s best places for work-life quality

1. Finland - 73 out of 100

Finland takes the top spot in our rankings, achieving an impressive work quality score of 73 out of 100. Finnish full-time workers enjoy a well-balanced daily routine, with an average working day lasting seven hours and 44 minutes, offering a relatively short work schedule compared to other countries. Despite having an average commute time of 41 minutes, Finland’s employees also clearly prioritise rest time, clocking in six hours and 47 minutes of sleep on an average working day. Time spent on breaks is also notably high, with workers spending 52 minutes taking much-needed pauses during their day. The reigning happiest country in the world according to the World Happiness Report, Finland has offered flexible working policies to its workers for almost three decades, all helping to contribute to the health and happiness of people living and working in the country.

2. Denmark - 70 out of 100

Denmark claims the second spot as one of the top countries where workers have the greatest quality of work life, scoring 70 out of 100 in our indexed rankings. Our research revealed that employees in Denmark rated their work-life balance higher than those in any other region, with an average score of 7.6 out of 10. They also reported getting a good amount of sleep before the workday (six hours and 52 minutes), having the shortest working hours (seven hours and 25 minutes), and enjoying some of the shortest commute times (42 minutes). This Scandinavian country is often recognised for its quality of life and has been described by the OECD Better Life Index as outperforming the global averages in jobs, education, health, environmental quality, social connections, civic engagement and life satisfaction.

3. Switzerland - 65 out of 100
Switzerland ranks in third position, with an overall work quality score of 65 out of 100. Known for its strong economy and high standard of living, Switzerland offers its workforce a unique balance between long working hours and personal well-being. Swiss employees, on average, work for 8 hours and 13 minutes each day, making their working hours among some of the longest of the countries we analysed. However, perhaps as a result, Swiss workers have the best sleep of all countries surveyed - seven hours and seven minutes a night, on an average working day. Although commute times are slightly higher at 53 minutes, Swiss workers make the most of their time at work, spending 56 minutes on breaks to recharge during the day.

Interestingly, out of the thousands of respondents surveyed, workers in European countries rate their working experiences the most highly, with nine out of the top 10 countries being located in the continent. New Zealand is the only non-European country to rank in the top 10 with a work quality score of 60, and the United Kingdom misses out on a top ten spot, sitting in 17th place with an overall work quality score of 47.

Which countries around the world work the longest hours?

According to the OECD, the average full-time employee in an OECD country works 36 hours per week, which equates to seven hours and 12 minutes per day for those working a conventional Monday-to-Friday schedule. Our research indicates that in the United States, the average working day is eight hours and 29 minutes - far exceeding the OECD average, and equating to American employees working over 18% longer than their counterparts.

Brazil claims second place on the list, where the average working day lasts eight hours and 14 minutes, placing them just ahead of Switzerland, Australia and Ireland who all have an average working day of eight hours and 13 minutes. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Norway and Austria complete the list of countries that have average working days of eight hours or more.

At the other end of the scale, Denmark workers work the least amount of hours (seven hours and 25 minutes on average), followed by France where the average working day lasts seven hours and 38 minutes.

Top 10 Countries With the Longest Average Working Days

Rank	Country	Average length of working day
1	United States	8 hours 29 minutes
2	Brazil	8 hours 14 minutes
=3	Australia	8 hours 13 minutes
=3	Ireland	8 hours 13 minutes
=3	Switzerland	8 hours 13 minutes
=6	Czech Republic	8 hours 2 minutes
=6	Hungary	8 hours 2 minutes
8	Norway	8 hours 1 minute
9	Austria	8 hours 0 minutes
10	Sweden	7 hours 59 minutes

Where in the world do workers get the longest breaks?

Thanks to tight employment laws, the Brazilian workforce is entitled to an hour-long break when working over six hours in one day, meaning it’s little surprise that workers in Brazil spend the most time on lunch (and other coffee and comfort) breaks throughout the working day. This is a real benefit when compared to the likes of the UK, where employers working six hours and above are entitled to just a 20-minute labour break. To ensure that workers are properly rested in between shifts, Brazilian law also states that there should be at least 11 hours between an employee’s scheduled hours and one full day off weekly.

Swiss workers enjoy the second-longest breaks in the world; Switzerland's labour laws, outlined in the Swiss Labor Law (Arbeitsgesetz), establish clear guidelines on workers' rights to breaks and rest periods. Workers are entitled to breaks based on the length of their shifts: 15 minutes for shifts over 5 hours 30 minutes, 30 minutes for shifts over 7 hours, and 60 minutes for shifts over nine hours. Additionally, workers must receive at least 11 consecutive hours of rest between working days and 35 consecutive hours of rest each week, typically including one full day off, ensuring workers are well-rested.

Portuguese workers enjoy the third-longest breaks, as our survey reveals people in employment in Portugal take 53 minutes worth of breaks each day. The other countries where average break times exceed 50 minutes are Finland (52 minutes), Belgium (also 52 minutes), France (51 minutes) and Sweden (50 minutes).

Despite the old-fashioned stereotype of Spaniards enjoying a two-hour siesta during their working day, our research suggests that this may be a myth - as Spanish respondents report a 35-minute labour break, the shortest break of all countries we surveyed. Spanish Labour law establishes that when a working day exceeds six hours, the worker is entitled to a minimum rest of 15 minutes, although a greater duration may be negotiated.

Also among those experiencing shorter rests during the working day is Norway, where the average break taken by employees is 38 minutes, followed by the US where time for breaks averages 39 minutes a day.

Top 10 Countries With The Longest Breaks Per Working Day

Rank	Country	Average time spent on breaks per working day
1	Brazil	60 mins
2	Switzerland	56 mins
3	Portugal	53 mins
=4	Finland	52 mins
=4	Belgium	52 mins
6	France	51 mins
7	Sweden	50 mins
8	New Zealand	46 mins
=9	Italy	45 mins
=9	Netherlands	45 mins

Where in the world do workers have the shortest commute?

Commuting to and from your workplace can add a considerable amount of time to your total working day. So, having a short commute is, understandably, a big appeal when accepting a job. Our research found that it is those in the USA who experience the shortest travel time to and from work, with 40 minutes being the average reported travel time for workers.

Austria and Finland both have the second-shortest average commuting time, with workers reporting a 41-minute total travel time, followed by Denmark and New Zealand where employees commute for 42 - 43 minutes, on average.

However, the luxury of a relatively short commute is not the case for eight countries surveyed, where their average commuting times exceed 50 minutes. People working in Belgium endure the longest journey to and from work lasting 63 minutes, which may come as no surprise given recent research revealing that one in five Belgians have a two-hour commute.

Ireland and Australia also face close-to-an-hour round-trips, travelling to work for 59 minutes each. Brazil is also among the nations commuting for over 50 minutes (57 minutes in total), alongside France and Portugal (each with an average commute of 55 minutes) and Switzerland and Hungary (both 53 minutes).

New Zealand has the second-shortest average commuting time, with workers reporting a 40-minute total travel time, followed by Denmark and Japan where employees commute for close to 42 minutes, on average.

However, the luxury of a relatively short commute is not the case for seven countries surveyed, where their average commuting times exceed 50 minutes. People working in Belgium endure the longest journey to and from work lasting 57 minutes, which may come as no surprise given recent research revealing that one in five Belgians have a two-hour commute.

Brazil and Portugal also face close-to-an-hour round-trips, travelling to work for 56 and 55 minutes, respectively. Ireland is also among the nations commuting for over 50 minutes (55 minutes in total), alongside Hungary (54 minutes), France (54 minutes), Australia (51 minutes) and Switzerland (51 minutes).

Top 10 Countries With The Shortest Commutes To And From Work

Rank	Country	Average commute time (to and from place of work)
1	United States	40 mins
=2	Austria	41 mins
=2	Finland	41 mins
4	Denmark	42 mins
5	New Zealand	43 mins
6	Spain	44 mins
7	Czech Republic	45 mins
8	Sweden	46 mins
9	Germany	47 mins
10	Canada	48 mins

One in three looking to move abroad for a better work-life balance

As part of our research, we also asked respondents how likely they would be to move to another country in the next five years for a better quality of work, with almost one-third (30%) of all working individuals we surveyed foreseeing themselves emigrating in the next five years. Over two-thirds of Brazilians (70%) stated that they will look to leave their current work base in search of better working conditions and lifestyles in a different country, the most of any country surveyed. With 149.1 million Brazilians being of working age (15 to 64 years old), this means that 99,897,000 employees could pack up and leave Brazil in search of a better work-life quality in the next five years.

Despite ranking in the top five countries with the best work-life quality overall in our research, France also ranked highly with almost 43% of French workers saying it is likely that they will seek employment in another country in the next few years. Portugal ranks in third place with over four in ten workers in the country (42%) saying they may leave in the next five years in pursuit of better work quality.

Top 10 Countries Where Workers Are Considering Leaving For Better Work Quality

Rank	Country	% of workers considering leaving their country for a better quality of work
1	Brazil	70%
2	France	43%
3	Portugal	42%
4	Hungary	41%
5	Italy	37%
6	New Zealand	37%
7	Czech Republic	36%
8	Austria	36%
9	United Kingdom	33%
10	Germany	28%

Where in the world are workers most satisfied with their work-life balance?

Once again, Denmark tops the rankings. According to the Danes themselves, work-life balance is incredibly important and ingrained into Danish culture – people take pride in their work but do not feel the need to demonstrate their dedication by working long hours. In fact, working past 5 pm is discouraged and many offices lock their doors once the clock strikes five.

Finland follows in second spot, with a score of 7.14 and Belgium follows closely behind in third place with a score of 7.13. The Netherlands place in fourth spot, and similar to Denmark, the Dutch also have very clear boundaries when it comes to their work affecting their lifestyles, meaning that laptops stay shut after 6 pm and the weekend is all yours.

Similar to the overall work-life rankings, the top 10 list of nations with the most satisfied workers is dominated by European countries, with eight of the top 10 being found in the continent. Brazil represents South America in fifth spot with a high satisfaction score of 6.91 out of 10, while Canada in eighth spot represents North America with a work satisfaction score of 6.82. Despite ranking in the lower half of our overall rankings, the United Kingdom is in the top 10 countries with the most satisfied workers, with an average satisfaction score of 6.66.

Top 10 Countries Where Workers Are Most Satisfied With Their Work-Life Balance

Score: 1 being not satisfied at all; 10 being very satisfied

Rank	Country	Work-life satisfaction score
1	Denmark	7.64
2	Finland	7.14
3	Belgium	7.13
4	Netherlands	7.09
5	Brazil	6.91
=6	Switzerland	6.85
=6	Norway	6.85
8	Canada	6.82
9	Spain	6.69
10	United Kingdom	6.66

Methodology: How we found the countries with the best (and worst) work-life balance

We surveyed 4,245 full-time workers from 22 global countries asking how long they work on an average day, how many hours of sleep they get before work, how long they spend commuting to and from work, how long they spend on (lunch and coffee) breaks, how satisfied they are with their current work-life balance, and how likely it is they will emigrate in the next five years to improve their current work-life situation. The survey was conducted via Prolific.

There was a larger dataset of 7,500 people from 30 countries that was originally analysed but eight countries were discounted where there were fewer than 250 respondents per country for better data comparisons. Data correct as of September 2024.