Australia ranked eighth globally for life-work balance in 2025

Australia has been ranked eighth globally for life-work balance according to the latest Global Life-Work Balance Index, also recording the highest minimum wage among the world's leading economies.

The annual study, conducted by Remote, evaluated the top 60 GDP nations using workplace factors such as statutory annual and maternity leave, sick leave, healthcare, public safety, public happiness, LGBTQ+ inclusivity, and average work hours per employee to determine which countries offer the healthiest life-work cultures in 2025.

Australia maintained its eighth place position for the second consecutive year with a score of 72.1 out of 100, outpacing the United States, which ranked near the bottom with a score of 31.17. New Zealand led the global index for the third year in a row, registering a score of 86.87.

One significant finding highlighted Australia's minimum wage at $18.12 (USD) per hour - the highest recorded in the study. New Zealand and the United Kingdom followed with rates of $16.47 and $15.67 respectively. Australians also work relatively short hours, averaging 32.29 per week, in contrast to many other nations.

Regional highlights

Within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, Australia was ranked second for life-work balance. Singapore advanced to third in APAC, a change attributed in part to improvements in statutory maternity leave. Malaysia saw the largest regional advancement, rising 20 places from the previous year to become the fourth-ranked APAC country, although average weekly hours in Malaysia remain high at 44.70 and LGBTQ+ inclusivity scores the lowest in the region.

European countries continued to dominate the upper ranks of the global index, with 16 making it into the top 20. Ireland, Belgium, Germany, and Norway completed the top five worldwide, while the United States dropped further, ranking 59th out of 60 countries.

Australia's profile

The study noted that, while Australia lags behind New Zealand in specific categories, it demonstrates strong performance in short average weekly work hours and statutory wage levels. This, combined with the country's broader statutory benefits, positions it favourably on the global scale.

Australia's continued ranking was credited to high statutory standards in areas such as maternity and sick leave, considerable minimum wage, and cultural factors encouraging shorter working weeks. The broader Index metrics, which included statutory holidays, healthcare, and diverse social inclusivity, painted a comprehensive picture of how countries balance employee welfare and productivity.

Remote's methodology incorporated indicators such as annual statutory leave days, maternity and sick pay, minimum wage, healthcare status, happiness index, average weekly work hours, LGBTQ+ inclusivity, and safety. These were weighted according to their relevance to life-work outcomes.

The index data was collected and analysed in April 2025, and countries were scored relative to their overall performance across all measured factors.