While returning to the office is a cause of frustration for some workers, others continue to work remotely and can even carry out their professional activity from anywhere in the world. For those looking for their next destination, a new ranking compiles the best countries for remote working.
Cybersecurity firm NordLayer recently shared the second edition of its Global Remote Work Index (GRWI), which reveals the best and worst countries for working remotely. Following last year’s edition, this 2023 update was compiled by comparing the 108 destinations on the basis of four criteria: online security, economics, digital and physical infrastructure, and social safety.
This methodology puts Denmark at the top of the list as the best country for teleworking. The Scandinavian nation scores well in all the criteria, except when it comes to online security: in this regard, it is ranked 13th, well behind Slovakia, Estonia and Lithuania, which make up the top three in this particular category.
Malaysia claims the prestigious 41st spot on the list, while neighbouring Singapore lands at No. 28.
Overall, the Netherlands and Germany rank second and third respectively in the GRWI. They are closely followed by Spain – one of the preferred destinations for digital nomads – and Sweden.
Surprisingly, the Scandinavian nation does not shine when it comes to social safety – that is, human rights, inclusion and crime. It ranks 15th in this category, where Switzerland (1st), the Netherlands (2nd) and Iceland (3rd) lead the way.
France ranks 15th overall, five places lower compared with last year. While it may not be the country most conducive to remote working, France remains a destination to keep in mind when it comes to setting down your suitcases and your laptop, thanks to the quality of its digital and physical infrastructure (4th place) and its social safety (6th place).
Note, however, that teleworkers may encounter difficulties in France if they don’t speak the language. Indeed, English is not as widely spoken there as in other countries in the ranking, including the Nordic and Scandinavian countries.
While European countries dominate the top 10, Canada comes in 14th place, and the United States in 16th.
Here is NordLayer’s list of the top 15 best countries for remote work. Check out the full list here.
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- Germany
- Spain
- Sweden
- Portugal
- Estonia
- Lithuania
- Ireland
- Slovakia
- Finland
- Belgium
- Iceland
- Canada
- France