A new study by Holland and Barrett reveals which cities are the best for a better work-life balance, taking into account hours asleep, spent in the sun and at work to create the Sunlight Cities Index.
Taking working hours data for each city from the International Labour Organization, the index reveals the best cities in the world to live and work in to get the best work-life balance.
Amsterdam is crowned the city with the best work-life balance
When it comes to the working week Amsterdam takes the top spot with an average of 30.41 hours worked per week. With an average night’s sleep there racking up to 8.45 hours, that leaves Amsterdammers a luxurious 9.47 hours a day to unwind with family and friends.
Europe continues to lead the way for a great work-life balance, with Marseille in France coming in second place with 31.48 working hours a week. Alice Springs, a remote town in Australia’s Northern Territory, comes in joint-third place along with Vienna, Austria, with both offering their residents an average working week of 31.82 hours.
Auckland, London and Rome feature in the top 10
Top 10 cities for work-life balance
| Rank | Country | City | Working hours per week | Sleeping hours per day |
| 1 | Netherlands | Amsterdam | 30.41 | 8.45 |
| 2 | France | Marseille | 31.48 | 8.49 |
| 3 | Australia | Alice Springs | 31.82 | 8.56 |
| 4 | Austria | Vienna | 31.82 | 8.48 |
| 5 | New Zealand | Auckland | 33.00 | 8.76 |
| 6 | United Kingdom | London | 33.48 | 8.06 |
| 7 | Belgium | Brussels | 33.80 | 8.39 |
| 8 | Denmark | Copenhagen | 34.00 | 8.13 |
| 9 | Norway | Oslo | 34.00 | 8.09 |
| 10 | Italy | Rome | 34.15 | 8.28 |
Aukland, New Zealand, offers the fifth shortest working week at 33 hours and in sixth place is London, where the average working week is 33.48 hours. Brussels comes in seventh place with 33.80 working hours a week and in joint eighth place is Copenhagen and Oslo with a 34 hour working week. Rounding off the top ten is Rome with an average working week of 34.15 hours.
Alex Glover, Senior Nutritionist at Holland & Barrett, at Holland & Barrett comments:
“Making time for leisure activities, like getting outdoors, exercising and spending time relaxing with friends and family is so important in looking after your physical and mental wellbeing so it’s great to see all these cities offering a good work-life balance. Stress can impact our health in so many ways so it’s vital to take time to unwind and in such uncertain times it’s never been more important to invest our leisure time in self-care.”