Best Countries for Women to Work and Live in 2025: Denmark Is No. 1

Recent research shows that countries investing in childcare facilities witnessed a 12% rise in female employment participation over the last year, highlighting the economic impact of gender-inclusive policies. The study studied gender-related economic and social factors across the 17 most equality-advanced countries to rate them based on how advantageous they are for women to work and live in in 2025.

• Denmark is at the top of the list of the best places for women to live and work in 2025 because it offers the longest maternity leave and the highest degree of gender equality.
• Finland ranks second with the highest gender equality index.
• Belgium has the smallest gender salary gap, at 0.7%.

Note that the ten key indicators in the dataset are attitudes toward working mothers, average length of maternal leave, gender equality index, percentage of women in managerial positions, gender gap in managerial positions, employment gap, and nighttime insecurity. The European Institute for Gender Equality, the International Labour Organization, Eurostat, and the OECD provided the data for this study.

The findings are summarized as follows:

The Best Countries for Women to Work and Live in 2025

#1. DenmarK:

Denmark has the highest life score (83), which indicates great gender equality and fewer employment gaps, making it the best country for women to live and work in in 2025. With 18 months of maternity leave, the nation has the longest in the world. Its gender equality index is also high, at 0.78. With a 27.9% gender difference in managerial roles, Denmark also has the narrowest gap.

Here are Scholarships for Women: Empowering Education and Careers

#2. Finland:

Finland, with a life score of 80, comes in second. The nation has the smallest employment gap in the ranking (1.5%) and more female entrepreneurs than Denmark (1.9%). Finland lags in terms of the gender wage gap and the availability of maternal leave, but it also ranks higher on the gender equality index.

#3. Sweden:

With a score of 79, Sweden ranks third among the top nations for women to live and work in 2025. The nation stands out favorably with a tiny income disparity of 7.3% and a full year of maternity leave, but it has the largest gender gap in managerial positions among the top 10 (42.3%).

#4. Belgium:

Belgium, with a life score of 76, is in fourth place. At 0.7%, the nation has the narrowest pay difference, which is 17 times less than Denmark’s. At 2%, Belgium has a higher percentage of female entrepreneurs than either Sweden or Finland.

#5. France:

France comes in at number five with a score of 75. The country boasts the third-highest percentage of businesswomen (2.15%) and a remarkable 16-month maternal leave. At 7%, the employment gap in France is somewhat worse than in Sweden or Finland.

#6. Estonia:

Estonia scored 74, good for sixth place. In Estonia, the income difference is 13.1%, whereas the employment gap is just 4.5%, which is less than in France or Belgium. Additionally, the nation offers a longer maternity leave of up to 14 months.

#7. Portugal:

Portugal, with a life score of 73, comes in eighth. The nation is notable for having the second-longest maternity leave (17 months) and the second-highest percentage of female entrepreneurs (3%).

#8. Slovenia:

Slovenia, with a score of 72 and eighth position, is right behind Portugal. It has a lower income difference of 9.2% and a longer maternity leave of 15 months, despite having one of the largest gender gaps in the top 10 for managerial positions.

<h3>#9. Austria:

Austria, with a score of 70, is in ninth place. The country offers a 16-month maternity leave, just like France; however, the employment gap is larger at 10.5%. In Austria, the pay gap is now 12%.

#10. Spain:

Spain comes in last on the list of the best places for women to live and work in 2025. The income disparity is less than in Austria, at 6.2%, but the maternity leave is the same here. At 3.07%, Spain also has the highest percentage of female entrepreneurs on the list.

Conclusion

The Nordic countries continue to dominate global rankings for gender equality in the workplace, demonstrating that comprehensive social policies can create environments where women thrive professionally.

Furthermore, these findings offer a model for other countries looking to advance gender equality by demonstrating how systemic benefits like parental leave and wage transparency result in quantifiable improvements in women’s lives.

Read Also:

Florence Bamidele Makanjuola ₦1,000,000 Per Year Scholarship (FBM) For Young Female Nigerians 2025

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Become a Nun

Essential Things You Need to Know About Women in STEM Scholarships