28/09/2025
Just comparing this 2 countries!🇳🇴🇦🇹
Looking at the table below, why is New Zealand ranked #1 for work–life balance, while Norway is only in the top 5, even though Norway scores higher on most indicators such as vacation days, parental leave, salary, healthcare, and safety?”
🌍 How rankings are calculated
Most work–life balance indices (like the Remote Global Life-Work Balance Index 2025) don’t just measure laws and benefits. They also include lifestyle factors such as:
• Climate & sunshine hours
• Happiness and wellbeing surveys
• Outdoor culture and social life
• Stress levels
• Cost of living compared to wages
• How much people actually use their time off
⚖️ Why Norway didn’t make #1
1. Long, dark winters
• Seasonal depression (mørketid) affects many people.
• Fewer daylight hours compared to New Zealand’s sunnier climate.
2. High living costs
• Even with high wages, Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world.
• Housing, food, and everyday expenses can create financial stress.
3. Work culture differences
• While Norway values balance, some surveys show New Zealanders are less stressed and more relaxed at work.
• Norway can be more structured and demanding in certain industries.
4. Survey-based “happiness factor”
• New Zealanders often report higher satisfaction with lifestyle freedom and leisure opportunities.
• Norway ranks high in happiness, but stress about economy and housing prices drags the score slightly down.
5. Index “weighting”
• Some rankings give extra points for climate, social attitudes, and leisure lifestyle.
• New Zealand’s “Kiwi lifestyle” (easygoing, outdoors, flexible) boosts it past Norway, despite Norway’s stronger welfare system.
Based mainly on the Remote - Global Life-Work Balance Index 2025, the top 10 are:
Rank Country
1. New Zealand
2. Ireland
3. Belgium
4. Germany
5. Norway
6. Denmark
7. Canada
8. Australia
9. Spain
10. Finland
👉 In short: Norway has the stronger system on paper (laws, pay, rights), but New Zealand feels more balanced in daily life according to global surveys. That’s why New Zealand takes #1, while Norway stays in the top 5.
