Netherlands Lands Top Spot in Numbeo Quality of Life Index 2026
A consistent top ranking among the world’s best places to live
The Netherlands has secured the top spot in the 2026 Quality of Life Index by Country from cost-of-living database, Numbeo. With a score of 213.6, the country ranks just ahead of Denmark (212.2) and Luxembourg (211.9), forming a tightly clustered top three of high-performing European nations.
Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index 2026 aggregates data from a broad set of indicators across 89 countries—including purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, property price‑to‑income ratios, commute times, pollution levels and climate—based on globally sourced user‑contributed data. In the latest 2026 analysis, the Netherlands records a strong performance across the board, including:
- Safety Index: 74.5
- Health Care Index: 81.5
- Pollution Index: 20.9
- Climate Index: 86.9
Enhancing the Netherlands’ attractiveness for international companies and global talent
With such strong quality of life indicators, along with other factors such as high level of English language, international outlook, and diverse expat community, the attractiveness to global talent continues to be very strong. This is also demonstrated by the Netherlands holding the No. 6 spot on the Global Talent Competitiveness Index.
For businesses evaluating global locations, quality of life is an important part of talent strategy. The Netherlands’ consistent top‑tier performance confirms its reputation as a cosmopolitan, innovative and people‑centred place—one that supports both economic growth and wellbeing. This makes the Netherlands very attractive to businesses as they have a highly skilled pool of talent to draw from and can entice people to the country when expanding there.
A top national ranking brought to life in vibrant cities
The Netherlands’ top ranking reflects the nation as a whole, but also the living experience in its major cities. Dutch cities top Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index by City too. The Hague, Utrecht and Eindhoven top the global list (1, 2 and 3 rankings, respectively)—scoring highly for safety, cost of living and access to healthcare. And as the country’s international gateway, Amsterdam also sits in the top 10 (number 8), embodying Dutch strengths in connectivity, sustainability and innovation.
These city rankings reinforce the Netherlands’ position as one of the most attractive places for global companies and professionals.
About the Numbeo index
Numbeo is the world’s largest cost of living database. It collects crowd-sourced data that accumulates into insights into various aspects of life in different cities and countries around the world. The surveys cover a wide range of topics such as costs of living, crime rates, pollution levels, transportation and quality of life.
For the full ranking visit Numbeo’s website.
16 February 2026