DON’T MISS
IamExpat FairIamExpat Job BoardIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
Dutch news & articles
Netherlands ranked eleventh best country in the world to raise a family
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Netherlands ranked eleventh best country in the world to raise a family

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

Most Googled: Are Dutch ovens actually from the Netherlands?Most Googled: Are Dutch ovens actually from the Netherlands?
Most Googled: Why do Dutch monarchs abdicate the throne?Most Googled: Why do Dutch monarchs abdicate the throne?
Most Googled: How many bicycles are there in the Netherlands?Most Googled: How many bicycles are there in the Netherlands?
Most Googled: Why do the Dutch wear orange?Most Googled: Why do the Dutch wear orange?
The history between the USA and the NetherlandsThe history between the USA and the Netherlands
History of Amsterdam: Car-free SundaysHistory of Amsterdam: Car-free Sundays
Mata Hari: Undercover spy or double agent?Mata Hari: Undercover spy or double agent?
Mata Hari: Life in ParisMata Hari: Life in Paris
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat FairsWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Aug 11, 2020
William Nehra
William studied a masters in Classics at the University of Amsterdam. He is a big fan of Ancient History and football, particularly his beloved Watford FC. Read more

A new study has ranked 35 countries, using six different categories, to discern which are the best for raising a family. The Netherlands ranks eleventh overall, behind the Scandinavian countries and Germany, being beaten by the Czech Republic for a spot in the top ten.

Where is the best place to raise a family?

A new study by the travel and family journalism company Asher & Lyric has ranked 35 OECD countries on how good they are to raise families in. Their “Raising a Family Index” is based on six different categories: Safety, Happiness, Cost, Health, Education and Time. Each category is made up of five different criteria, with data taken from several internationally renowned sources. 

The Netherlands ranks eleventh overall, performing particularly poorly in the cost category. It ranked highly for safety and education, entering the top five in these two areas, and logged respectable scores for happiness.

While happiness scores were based on Cato's Human Freedom Index, the World Happiness Index and suicide rates, the cost index took into account factors such as average household income, cost of childcare and social security benefits, and the education index looked at average school performances and enrolment rates in primary and secondary education. 

However, the Netherlands' performance also dipped when it came to health - which is examined in relation to giving birth, life expectancy and child mortality rates - and time - which looked at working hours, sick, holiday and maternity leaves, and child benefits.

Raising a Family Index: Top 15 countries 

The top 15 countries in the 2020 Raising a Family Index were as follows:

  1. Iceland
  2. Norway
  3. Sweden
  4. Finland
  5. Luxembourg
  6. Denmark
  7. Germany
  8. Austria
  9. Belgium
  10. Czech Republic
  11. The Netherlands
  12. Portugal 
  13. France
  14. Australia
  15. Slovenia

For more information, including links to the sources used for the Index, a breakdown of the methodology and weighting as well as the complete ranking, you can check out the Raising a Family Index on the Asher & Lyric website.

By William Nehra