The Netherlands tops 2026 ranking for best quality of life
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By Simone Jacobs
The Netherlands has been crowned the best country in the world for quality of life in Numbeo’s 2026 global quality of life index, overtaking Luxembourg for the first time since 2023.
Numbeo Quality of Life Index 2026
The annual Numbeo ranking compares 89 countries across the world, looking at a range of factors that determine the highest quality of life. The countries were compared across categories such as purchasing power, pollution, housing affordability, cost of living, safety, healthcare quality, commute times and climate.
In 2026, the Netherlands claimed the number one spot in the world, with Denmark and Luxembourg following close behind. At the bottom of the ranking are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nigeria.
The Quality of Life Index doesn’t only compare countries, but also takes a look at cities. Six Dutch cities made it into the top 10 for the ranking of global cities, with five of them claiming the top five spots. The Hague was named the best city in the world for quality of life, followed by Utrecht and Eindhoven.
The Netherlands ranked first for quality of life
Healthcare was a standout category for the Netherlands, with hospitals and other medical institutions conveniently located and well-equipped, along with quality equipment and skilled workers. Other categories in which the country performed well were purchasing power, climate, and commute time.
On the other hand, cost of living was one of the lowest points for the country, on average 8,6 percent higher than the United States, according to Numbeo. Estimated monthly costs for a family of four in the Netherlands are over 3.600 euros excluding rent, a high number considering the average monthly salary is 4.000 euros.
Despite housing being a major concern for people living in the Netherlands, the country did not perform particularly badly when it came to the property price to income ratio, ranking 14th-best in the world with a ratio of 7,59 - compared to Nigeria which has a ratio of 93,7. This means that buying a house in the Netherlands costs on average 7,59 times a person’s income.
10 best countries and cities for quality of life
In all, here are the top 10 countries for quality of life in 2026:
- The Netherlands
- Denmark
- Luxembourg
- Oman
- Switzerland
- Finland
- Austria
- Germany
- Iceland
- Norway
And the top 10 cities:
- The Hague, the Netherlands
- Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Eindhoven, the Netherlands
- Groningen, the Netherlands
- Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Vienna, Austria
- Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Gent, Belgium
- Nuremburg, Germany
For more information and to see the full ranking, visit the Numbeo website.
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training.Read more