Three Nordic countries top the list for women to work and live in, while two southern European countries are at the bottom, according to a recent study.

A new study has ranked Denmark, Finland, and Sweden as the leading European countries for women to work and live in 2025. The ranking is based on 10 key indicators, including the gender wage gap, employment gaps, maternity leave, and gender equality indexes.

Denmark tops the list with a high life score and the longest maternity leave, followed by Finland and Sweden, which also score highly on gender equality and employment measures. The study notes that the UK has the smallest percentage of women entrepreneurs, while Italy has the highest employment gap among the countries analyzed.

Best European countries for women to work and live in in 2025

What are the best European countries for women to work and live in 2025? Denmark, Finland and Sweden are the top three of the 16 European countries ranked by their favorability towards women in the workplace and living conditions in 2025. The study analyzed these countries based on 10 key indicators, including the gender wage gap and bank account ownership. Denmark leads the list with a life score of 83, reflecting smaller gaps in employment and higher gender equality. The country offers the longest maternity leave in the ranking with 18 months and has a high gender equality index of 0.78. In second place is Finland with a life score of 80. The country has more female entrepreneurs than Denmark at 1.9 percent and the smallest employment gap in the ranking at 1.5 percent. However, it trails behind in maternal leave availability and the gender wage gap. Sweden ranks third on the list of the best countries for women to work and live in 2025, scoring 79. The country has the widest gender gap in managerial positions in the top 10 with 42.3 percent, but stands out with a small wage gap of 7.3 percent and a full year of maternity leave. On the other hand, the UK has the smallest percentage of women entrepreneurs, while Italy has the highest employment gap.

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