Somewhere between the extended email chain that never stops pinging and the vacation days that quietly go unused, a pattern starts to emerge. Some countries have simply built their entire employment systems around the idea that work comes first and everything else fits in around the edges, if it fits at all.
Remote.com’s Global Life-Work Balance Index, now in its third year, has become one of the more comprehensive tools for measuring this gap. It scores the world’s 60 largest economies by GDP against nine factors including statutory leave, wages, healthcare access, safety, and average hours worked, using data pulled in April 2025. The six countries below sit at the very bottom of that list, and each one gets there for a slightly different reason.
1. Nigeria
Nigeria holds the unwanted distinction of ranking dead last in the 2025 index, scoring just 30.07 out of 100. Nigeria scored 30.07 out of 100 in the Remote.com 2025 Global Life-Work Balance Index, making it the worst-ranked country for work-life balance among the world’s top 60 economies by GDP. That single number reflects a mix of weak statutory protections and broader quality-of-life struggles rather than any one glaring problem.
Nigeria holds the bottom spot due to a combination of just 6 days of statutory leave, one of the lowest healthcare access scores, and one of the lowest safety ratings in the entire 2025 index. Beyond the numbers, the everyday experience matters too. Many Nigerian employees, especially in urban hubs like Lagos and Abuja, report working overtime and a work culture that expects one to stay connected even after hours, significantly disrupting personal time and leisure. On top of that, rigid office norms leave little room for remote or flexible arrangements that might otherwise ease the pressure.
2. United States
It might surprise some readers that the world’s largest economy sits second from the bottom, but the reasoning is fairly straightforward once you look at the policy landscape. The United States came in at 59th with a score of 31.17, the only advanced economy with zero federally mandated paid vacation or maternity leave. No other wealthy nation in the index shares that particular gap.
What makes the American case interesting is the trajectory rather than the starting point. The US has been steadily declining, 53rd in 2023, 55th in 2024, and now 59th in 2025. The continued drop is driven by decreasing scores in public safety and LGBTQ+ inclusivity, on top of its longstanding absence of federally mandated paid vacation or maternity leave. In other words, the leave policy problem has always been there. What has changed is everything surrounding it, painting a picture of a country moving in the wrong direction rather than standing still.
3. Egypt
Egypt lands in third place among the worst performers, driven largely by how much time work actually eats out of the day. Cairo ranks #58 globally, with an alarmingly low global index score of 36.90, making it the third-worst country for work-life balance. Egypt features the longest average workweek at 44.44 hours and an exceptionally low Happiness Index of 3.82. That combination of long hours and low reported happiness tends to reinforce itself over time.
Wages compound the issue considerably. The minimum wage remains a challenge at $0.55 USD per hour. Egypt also has a significantly low LGBTQ+ inclusivity score of 11 out of 100. Women are granted 7 weeks of 100% paid maternity leave. Taken together, these figures suggest a labor market where the basic building blocks of a sustainable working life, fair pay, safety nets, and social protections, are still lagging well behind economic ambitions.
4. Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s placement in the bottom six comes down to something more fundamental than long hours or thin vacation allowances. Addis Ababa ranks #57 globally with a global index score of 37.61. Ethiopia is one of the few countries in the top 60 by GDP that doesn’t have a minimum wage. That absence changes the entire calculation for workers trying to plan any kind of personal time.
Without a wage floor, the pressure to keep working regardless of hours or conditions becomes almost unavoidable. If you don’t work, you don’t get paid, creating a dire situation for many. It’s a stark illustration of how work-life balance isn’t only about policy on paper. It’s also about whether workers can afford to say no to extra hours in the first place.
5. Iraq
Iraq ranks just above Ethiopia, with problems that stretch well beyond the workplace itself. Baghdad ranks #56 globally, with a global index score of 37.66, making it one of the top 5 countries with the worst work-life balance. Iraq is tanking near the absolute bottom for public safety, LGBTQ+ inclusivity, and Happiness Index score. These broader social conditions weigh heavily on the overall score, even where formal labor protections look reasonable on paper.
On paper, some of Iraq’s leave policies actually compare favorably to its neighbors on this list. They are offered a total of 20 days of statutory leave, and women are given 8.6 weeks of 100% paid maternity leave. Yet certain sectors operate under looser rules that can stretch the workday considerably. Some industries in Iraq operate under different working-hour regulations, such as healthcare workers, oil and gas workers, security personnel, and those in hospitality, who often follow shift patterns that may exceed standard daily limits but eventually balance out.
6. Pakistan
Rounding out the bottom six is Pakistan, where the gap between written law and lived experience appears especially wide. Pakistan struggles with a Happiness Index of 4.77 and 14 days of statutory annual leave, in addition to 15 public holidays. On the surface, that leave allowance isn’t dramatically worse than several higher-ranked countries.
The trouble lies in whether workers actually feel free to use it. While statutory leave is technically on the books, the lack of social safety nets also makes it risky for many employees to take time off. Domestic responsibilities add another layer of strain, particularly for women. Cultural expectations make long days at the office particularly challenging for women who are expected to manage all the domestic work and multi-generational family care, leaving little to no time to themselves.
Taken as a group, these six countries make one thing fairly clear: there’s no single formula for a poor work-life balance. Nigeria and Ethiopia struggle with thin economic safety nets, the United States is missing basic federal leave mandates despite its wealth, and Egypt, Iraq, and Pakistan each combine long hours with deeper social pressures around safety, inclusivity, or gender roles. Whatever the specific mix of causes, the outcome for workers in each of these places looks remarkably similar: less time, less rest, and fewer guarantees that tomorrow will look any different.
