Good news, fiets-lovers and kaassoufflé enthusiasts: the Netherlands has officially been crowned the second-best country in the world for quality of life in 2025.
The ranking comes from the Numbeo Quality of Life Index, which compiles survey data from people around the globe on how they feel about day-to-day life in their country.
What makes the Netherlands so gezellig?
Numbeo’s index takes into account eight key factors, awarding points for each one:
- 💶 Purchasing Power (can you buy cheese and pay rent?)
- 💨 Pollution levels (spoiler: the Dutch are keeping things pretty clean)
- 🏡 House Price to Income Ratio (okay, maybe we skip this one…)
- 😓 Cost of Living
- 👮♀️ Safety
- 💊 Health Care
- 🚅 Traffic Commute Time
- 🌱 Climate
In a comparison between the data from 10 years ago versus now, Visual Capitalist points out that back in 2015, the Netherlands sat at 14th place with 166 points, respectable but not brag-worthy.
Fast-forward to 2025, and the Dutch have pedalled their way up 12 spots, claiming second place with 216 points.
READ MORE | Dutch children are the happiest in the world
Only Luxembourg sits above the Netherlands in 2025, and they weren’t even in the top 30 in 2015.
So clearly, Luxembourg has been going to bed early, drinking water, and minding its business.
Europe is still winning the “nice place to live” Olympics
European countries continue to dominate the top rankings overall, likely thanks to solid social support systems, safety, and infrastructure.
| 2015 | 2025 | |
| 1 | Switzerland | Luxembourg |
| 2 | Germany | Netherlands |
| 3 | Sweden | Denmark |
| 4 | US | Oman |
| 5 | Finland | Switzerland |
| 6 | Denmark | Finland |
| 7 | Austria | Norway |
| 8 | Australia | Iceland |
| 9 | Canada | Austria |
| 10 | New Zealand | Germany |
At the end of the day, the Netherlands has proven that quality of life is not just about sunny weather or giant houses, it’s about feeling safe, looked after, and able to enjoy the little things.
What do you make of this ranking? Let us know in the comments below.
I’m Irish and I spent 10 days in hospital in the Netherlands and I was taken such good care of by everyone and they told me the truth about my condition which wasn’t told to me in Ireland. Made my hospital experience so positive that I hardly knew I was in a hospital. I’ll never forget that experience and thank you again.