Work-life balance in the Philippines still has room to grow. Manila ranked 41st in remote.com’s 2025 Global Life-Work Balance Index, scoring 46.6 out of 100. The ranking shows long work hours and moderate happiness levels across the country.
Filipinos clock in an average of 40.63 hours per week. That’s a bit higher than what you’ll see in countries with stronger labor protections and shorter workweeks. The Philippines also posted a happiness index of 6.11 out of 10, which is decent, but not enough to offset the grind.
For comparison, here’s the top 10 in the index:
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Dublin, Ireland
- Brussels, Belgium
- Berlin, Germany
- Oslo, Norway
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Ottawa, Canada
- Canberra, Australia
- Helsinki, Finland
- Madrid, Spain
These cities offer better access to healthcare, flexible work setups, and stronger support systems. Manila’s ranking shows we’re not quite there yet, but there’s potential.
As remote and hybrid work continue to grow, it’s a good time to rethink how our corporations support employees. Shorter workweeks, better benefits, and smarter policies could help improve the work-life balance that Filipino workers deserve.
For the full list, visit the 2025 Global Life-Work Balance Index.
Featured image from Unsplash
