Some of the best countries to raise a family in 2026 are Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Norway. While each country excels in a different area, such as Sweden for work-life balance and Iceland for safety, each has qualities that matter most for families, including safety, schools, healthcare, parental leave, and childcare, cost of living, and work-life balance.
Our rankings synthesize trusted benchmarks such as the Global Peace Index and World Happiness Report, PISA education results, livability scores, etc., and pair them with on-the-ground details like rent ranges, childcare availability, and language considerations. We also consider the available visas and residency options that accommodate spouses and dependent children, so you’ll know how to move legally and access schools and healthcare from day one.
Seeking to move abroad with family, but are still weighing up which country could be best suited to you? Looking to understand which countries offer high safety, low living costs, and great parental care? You can explore multiple immigration options that tick your boxes with Global Citizen Solutions.
Best Countries to Raise a Family – Key Takeaways
How do we measure the best countries to raise a family?
We measured the best countries to raise a family by focusing on what most families care about when thinking about a place to relocate to or settle in:
What we looked at:
- Safety and stability: Feeling secure where you live.
- Education: How well school systems help young kids and teens thrive.
- Healthcare access and quality: Getting medical care when you need it at an affordable cost.
- Parental leave and childcare: Time at home to bond with your children and support for returning to work.
- Affordability: Accommodation, childcare affordability, and other daily costs for a family.
- Livebility: cities and suburbs that are well-run and clean with reliable infrastructure.
Sources we referenced include:
- Global Peace Index: Identify and measure factors that determine peace in a country.
- Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Program for International Student Assessment (PISA): Education success.
- OECD Family Database: Parental leave overview.
- World Health Organization (WHO) Universal Health Coverage (UHC) / OECD Health: Access to healthcare.
- Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) Global Liveability Index: Which locations around the world offer the best and worst living conditions.
- World Happiness Report (WHR): Overall well-being.
Best Countries to Raise a Family in 2026
Here are the best countries to raise a family in 2026 in no particular order.
1. Finland
- Safety: 9 (GPI 2026).
- Education: Above-OECD in science. Strong reading. Resilient schooling system (PISA 2022).
- Healthcare: Public services are delivered through well-being services counties. Kela administers social-security benefits and some reimbursements such as parental allowances, child benefit, childcare support and sickness allowance.
- Parental leave: 160 workdays per parent (320 total), with flexible sharing.
- Happiness: #1 globally (WHR 2026).
- Cost of living: Moderate to high by EU standards, especially in Helsinki (Numbeo 2025).
- Best cities for families: Helsinki and Tampere.
- Family-friendly visas: Straightforward family reunification routes via Migri (the official Finnish immigration service). Work-to-residence pathways for skilled talent.
Why it works for families: Finland makes everyday parenting feel unhurried and safe. Primary schools emphasize curiosity over cramming, with small class sizes and supportive teachers, and teens have clear routes into well-regarded universities in Helsinki and Tampere.
Weekends are simple to plan: Forest kindergartens are common, Nuuksio National Park is a short hop for lakes and trails, and city libraries like Oodi double as community hubs with maker spaces and story hours.
The Helsinki Regional Transport Authority’s (HSL) integrated metro–tram–rail keeps commutes short, pram-friendly, and predictable. Healthcare is universal and straightforward to navigate for pediatrics and vaccinations, and subsidized daycare softens the cost curve in the early years. If you relocate on a work or startup permit, family reunification is clearly signposted so spouses can access healthcare and children can access schools.
2. Denmark
- Safety: 11 (GPI 2026).
- Education: Solid PISA outcomes; strong student well-being measures.
- Healthcare: Tax-funded, universal access.
- Parental leave: Up to 52 weeks total. Each cohabiting parent has 24 weeks of benefit-supported leave after birth, with transfer rules and additional pregnancy leave.
- Happiness: #3 (WHR 2026).
- Cost of living: High in specifically Copenhagen and Aarhus (Numbeo 2026).
- Best cities for families: Copenhagen tops the list.
- Family-friendly visas: Pay Limit Scheme and skilled worker routes. Spouses and children can accompany principal applicants.
Why it works for families: Denmark is built for childhood independence: Quiet streets, protected bike lanes, and playgrounds on nearly every block. Schools prize well-being alongside academics, and there’s a deep bench of English-taught options at secondary level.
Families spend summers at Amager Strandpark’s city beach, rainy Saturdays at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, and zip across Copenhagen on the driverless Metro with a stroller in tow.
Daycare quality is high and fees are capped; parental leave is long and shareable so both parents can be present in the first year. The culture of on-time departures (and on-time dinners) keeps evenings calm. Skilled routes like the Pay Limit Scheme make it easy to bring partners and kids, with quick registration for schools and healthcare.
3. Sweden
- Safety: 40 (GPI 2026)
- Education: Above-OECD in math, reading, and science (PISA 2022).
- Healthcare: Follows the Nordic model of universal coverage funded by taxes. Medical care is delivered by regional/municipal services with low out-of-pocket costs.
- Parental leave: 480 days per child. Sweden allows each parent to transfer up to 45 days to another caregiver, while a sole-custody parent can transfer up to 90 days.
- Happiness: #5 (WHR 2026).
- Cost of living: High in Stockholm/Malmö; plan for premium childcare options (Numbeo 2025). However, cost of living in Stockholm is 18% lower than in New York.
- Best cities for families: Stockholm and Gothenburg.
- Family-friendly visas: Standard work permit with family migration (spouse/children).
Why it works for families: Sweden gives kids room to grow: Inclusive, well-resourced schools; widespread preschool places; and a long, flexible parental-leave model that families actually use.
Stockholm mixes culture and nature. Visit the Vasa Museum for awe or ferry across the archipelago for low-effort adventures. Tickets bought via the country’s official transport system, Storstockholms Lokaltrafik, cover metro, buses, and boats so activities stay manageable. Healthcare is universal; children’s dental and preventive care are well covered, and English is widely spoken while you ease into Swedish.
After-school clubs, music schools, and municipal sports programs make socializing easy. Standard work permits include family migration, letting spouses and dependent children join with access to schools and pediatric care.
4. Netherlands
- Safety: 17 (GPI 2026).
- Education: Strong math skills and average science with reading slightly below OECD mean (PISA 2022).
- Healthcare: Mandatory basic Dutch health insurance for residents (Zvw).
- Parental leave: Up to 26 weeks parental leave, 9 weeks paid at 70% in the first year.
- Happiness: #7 ( WHR 2026).
- Cost of living: High in the Randstad region (which includes Amsterdam, Utrecht, the Hague and Rotterdam) (Numbeo 2026).
- Best cities for families: Amsterdam, Utrecht and The Hague.
- Family-friendly visas: Highly Skilled Migrant and the EU residence permit). Partners/children can join with a path to permanent residency and citizenship.
Why it works for families: Few places are as child-centered as the Netherlands. In fact, the country ranks first in UNICEF’s 2026 child well-being league table. School runs by bike, pocket parks everywhere, and a culture that expects kids to move around safely. Public schools are strong, with many bilingual tracks; international schools are plentiful in Utrecht, The Hague and Amsterdam.
Weekends swing between the Rijksmuseum/Van Gogh Museum and fresh-air escapes to Hoge Veluwe National Park or Scheveningen beach. The country’s national rail (called the NS) makes day trips realistic without a car, and cities are compact enough to keep after-school activities close.
Expanded paid parental leave and kinderopvangtoeslag (childcare benefits) reduce pressure on the family budget. The Highly Skilled Migrant and EU Blue Card routes are well-trodden and family-friendly.
5. Norway
- Safety: 33 (GPI 2026)
- Education: Good OECD performer with strong English proficiency in schools.
- Healthcare: Universal system funded by taxation and robust primary medical care.
- Parental leave: 49 weeks at 100% or 61 weeks and one day at 80% pay.
- Happiness: #6 (WHR 2026).
- Cost of living: Very high in especially Oslo and Bergen (Numbeo 2026).
- Best cities for families: Oslo and Stavanger.
- Family-friendly visas: Skilled Worker and EU/EEA rules. Family immigration for spouse/kids.
Why it works for families: If you want an outdoors-first childhood with serious state support, Norway delivers. The country offers some of the world’s longest paid-leave options, toddlers head into high-quality preschools, and older kids spend weekends hiking city forests like Marka or exploring fjords and mountains.
In Oslo, modern museums (like MUNCH) sit minutes from trailheads, and Ruter’s unified tickets cover metro, trams, buses, and ferries, so school, sports, and music lessons are easy to juggle. Healthcare is universal and predictable, and social trust keeps neighborhoods calm.
Skilled Worker routes include family immigration provisions that give spouses and children clear access to schools and healthcare.
6. Canada
- Safety: 14 (GPI 2026)
- Education: Above the OECD average in all three domains of reading, math and science (PISA 2022).
- Healthcare: Universal, publicly funded (“Medicare”).
- Parental leave: Employment Insurance (EI) parental benefits (standard or extended), with job protection.
- Happiness: #25 (WHR 2026).
- Cost of living: High in Toronto and Vancouver but moderate in mid-sized cities (Numbeo 2026).
- Best cities for families: Vancouver, Ottawa and Calgary.
- Family-friendly visas: Express Entry allows spouse/dependents; family sponsorship pathways to Canada permanent residency.
Why it works for families: Canada’s family rhythm is gentle: Safe suburbs and leafy neighborhoods, big public libraries, and community sports that don’t require heroic commutes. Public schools are strong, with bilingual (English/French) tracks in many districts; the University of Toronto and McGill anchor higher-ed aspirations.
Kids grow up outdoors, tackling city parks like Stanley Park during the week and national parks like Banff on long weekends. Urban transit keeps improving (SkyTrain, TTC), and pediatric care is predictable under the publicly funded system. Many families arrive via Express Entry, and founders can explore existing business immigration pathways, which can also include family.
7. New Zealand
- Safety: 2 (GPI 2026).
- Education: Above the OECD average in reading and science, with math closer to the OECD average.
- Healthcare: Public system with subsidized care. Private healthcare insurance top-ups common.
- Parental leave: 26 weeks of parental-leave payments, with eligible employees potentially receiving up to 52 weeks of job-protected leave, of which the extended portion is normally unpaid.
- Happiness: #11 (WHR 2026).
- Cost of living: High in Auckland and Wellington specifically (Numbeo 2026)
- Best cities for families: Auckland and Wellington.
- Family-friendly visas: New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa, an investment-based pathway with options for accompanying family members. The Skilled Migrant/Residence permit also allows you to bring along your spouse and kids.
Why it works for families: New Zealand offers a slower, outdoorsy childhood with strong community schools and kind teachers. Families head to Abel Tasman National Park for gentle coastal tracks, learn hands-on science at Te Papa, and spend after-school hours in city green belts and on easy beach walks.
Auckland Transport ties buses, trains, and ferries together, so club sports and music lessons are simple to reach. Healthcare is public with low costs for kids, and early-childhood education is widely available. Skilled Migrant resident visas let you include your partner and dependents in one application. Investors can look at the New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa for a family-friendly residency track.
8. Switzerland
- Safety: 3 (GPI 2026)
- Education: Above-OECD in math and science (PISA 2022).
- Healthcare: Compulsory basic insurance alongside universal access.
- Parental leave: Federal provision of 14 weeks of paid maternity leave and two weeks for the father or other qualifying parent.
- Happiness: #10 (WHR 2026).
- Cost of living: Very high in Zurich and Geneva (Numbeo 2026).
- Best cities for families: Zurich and Geneva.
- Family-friendly visas: Family reunification (spouse/kids) for both temporary residence permits (B permit) and permanent settlement permit (C permit).
Why it works for families: Switzerland blends squeaky-clean cities with alpine weekends. Families love reliable playgrounds and lakeside paths, and teens can choose between academic schools, bilingual streams, or outstanding vocational tracks that lead to real careers.
Top universities like ETH Zurich and EPFL headline higher-ed options, while museums like Kunsthaus Zürich and the Swiss National Museum make rainy days easy.
The Swiss rail network (the SBB) is famously punctual, pram-friendly, and discounted for kids, so you can live car-light even outside city cores. Healthcare is mandatory and of high quality, and pediatric care is excellent. Non-EU families typically come on B permits with family reunification; services are structured and efficient from sign-up to school placement.
9. Germany
- Safety: 28 (GPI 2026).
- Education: Mixed PISA picture; strong science and STEM tracks regionally.
- Healthcare: Statutory health insurance (SHI) covers approximately 90% of residents.
- Parental leave: Elterngeld (parental leave) of up to 12 months, 14 if shared
- Happiness: #17 (WHR 2026).
- Cost of living: Moderate in many regions but high in Munich and Frankfurt (Numbeo 2026).
- Best cities for families: Munich and Hamburg.
- Family-friendly visas: EU Blue Card and skilled worker routes with family reunification being widely used.
Why it works for families: Germany is all about having a structure that helps families thrive. Affordable daycare (called a Kita) is expanding and schools are steady – Germany ranks fourth among the top countries for education in the 2025 Global Education Report, alongside the US, UK and Australia, released by the Global Intelligence Unit.
Teens can follow academic pathways or the dual system that blends study and paid apprenticeships. City life is practical with dense U/S-Bahn transit networks for school and clubs, and high-speed ICE trains that turn regional tournaments and weekend trips into easy wins.
Culture, featuring Berlin’s Museum Island and the Deutsches Museum in Munich, runs deep. Forests and lakes are never far away to explore. Healthcare under statutory medical insurance covers children comprehensively. EU Blue Card and skilled routes are clear, and family reunification is well established.
10. Portugal
- Safety: 7 (GPI 2026).
- Education: Improving outcomes; strong international school network in Lisbon/Porto.
- Healthcare: SNS public system with low-cost access; private top-ups common.
- Parental leave: Initial parental leave is generally 120 days at 100% of the reference amount or 150 days at a lower replacement rate, with additional options where leave is shared.
- Happiness: #69 (WHR 2026)
- Cost of living: Lower than most of Western Europe, but living costs in Lisbon and Porto are rising. (Numbeo 2026).
- Best cities for families: Lisbon, Porto and Cascais.
- Family-friendly visas: The investment-based Portugal Golden Visa, the Portugal D7 Visa (passive income visa) and Portugal Digital Nomad Visa (D8) for remote workers are popular; family reunification after main applicant’s approval, with the procedure differing by route. Note that under Portugal’s immigration overhaul (Law 61/2025), primary residents must generally wait two full years of continuous legal residence before applying for in-country family reunification.
Why it works for families:
Portugal is a warm, low-stress option with good safety and a gentler price tag than Northern Europe. There are over 50 international schools in Lisbon, Cascais, and Porto, and public schools are improving at a solid rate too.
Families can enjoy Gulbenkian’s gardens and galleries, beaches from Carcavelos to Guincho, and waterfalls in Peneda-Gerês National Park. Metro de Lisboa and suburban trains keep travel easy without a car.
Healthcare through the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS) is accessible and affordable, with private top-ups common. Relocation is fairly easy through the D7 (passive income), D8 (digital nomad), or Golden Visa routes, each with clear family reunification steps. The Portugal Golden Visa is a family-friendly option that offers increased travel access to Europe.
11. Italy
- Safety: 35 (GPI 2026).
- Education: Reading above OECD avg. Math around average and science slightly below average (PISA 2022).
- Healthcare: Universal SSN (tax-funded; residents covered).
- Parental leave: Maternity leave is five months, and statutory paternity leave remains ten working days
- Happiness: #38 (WHR 2026)
- Cost of living: Family of four can expect to spend around €4,0k/mo (excluding rent). You tend to pay a premium in big cities (for example, Milan’s rent is higher than other areas).
- Best cities for families: Bergamo, Trento, Bolzano and Lecco.
- Family-friendly visas: Investor Visa, Elective Residence (no work but dependents allowed), and Digital Nomad Visa. Foreigners can also explore the EU Blue Card.
Why it works for families: Italy has great transportation. Milan’s metro keeps expanding, and high-speed Frecciarossa/Italo trains stitch big cities together for easy family trips.
Healthcare under the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale ( SSN) is universa, and nurseries, and after-school programs are growing, especially in the North. Families often choose mid-sized cities (Trento, Bergamo, Bolzano) for walkability and schools.
Visa routes, such as the Investor Visa (also known as the Italy Golden Visa), Italy Digital Nomad Visa, Elective Residence, EU Blue Card, are all available, depending on your personal situation, and come with family reunification pathways.
12. Iceland
- Safety: 1 (GPI 2026, longest-running #1).
- Education: Small, inclusive system; strong student support.
- Healthcare: Universal public cover after approximately 6 months’ legal residence.
- Parental leave: 12 months total (6 months per parent; part transferable).
- Happiness: #2 (WHR 2026)
- Cost of living: Very high (especially Reykjavík).
- Best cities for families: Reykjavík and Akureyri.
- Family-friendly visas: Work/residence routes with family reunification; EEA/EFTA free movement.
Why it works for families: Iceland offers ultra-safe independence and tiny, supportive schools with a good teacher-student ratio. Reykjavík keeps life compact, and you can explore science at the Perlan Museum, history at the National Museum of Iceland and go swimming at geothermal pools.
On weekends people tend to head to Þingvellir or view glaciers in Vatnajökull National Park. Commutes are short, bus networks simple and communities close-knit.
Parents appreciate generous, gender-equal parental leave and straightforward access to pediatric care once settled. Non-EEA families typically move on a work or residence permit with family reunification; EEA/EFTA (European Free Trade Association) citizens benefit from free movement.
13. Ireland
- Safety: 5 (GPI 2026)
- Education: Strong reading results; robust tertiary pipeline (PISA 2022).
- Healthcare: Mixed public/private; expanding access.
- Parental leave: A two-parent family can receive a combined 46 weeks of paid family leave across maternity, paternity, and Parent’s Leave.
- Happiness: #13 (WHR 2026).
- Cost of living: High in Dublin but lower in regional cities (Numbeo 2025).
- Best cities for families: Dublin and Cork.
- Family-friendly visas: Ireland offers a Critical Skills Employment Permit with fast family reunification and a Stamp 4 pathway. If you have a good business idea and want to operate in a supportive business environment, the Ireland Startup Entrepreneur Program is another option for residency
Why it works for families: Ireland feels familiar for English-speaking families: friendly schools, straightforward communication with teachers, and community sports through local GAA clubs.
Dublin offers a huge green lung in Phoenix Park, coastal walks on the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) line, and museums from the National Museum to the interactive EPIC Museum. The Luas, the mass transportation system, keeps city travel smooth, and regional towns offer calmer, more affordable alternatives.
Healthcare access is improving, and parental support has expanded in recent years. The Critical Skills Employment Permit is popular with tech, engineering, and healthcare hires and streamlines spousal access to work and residence.
14. Austria
- Safety: 6 (GPI 2026)
- Education: Solid public schools and renowned apprenticeship tracks with strong international school options in Vienna.
- Healthcare: Statutory social health insurance with broad medical access.
- Parental leave: Up to 24 months of unpaid job-protected parental leave (Karenz) per child until the child turns two, coupled with state-funded childcare allowance (Kinderbetreuungsgeld).
- Happiness: #19 (WHR 2026)
- Cost of living: Moderate–high. Vienna comparatively affordable vs other DACH (the German-speaking region of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) capitals.
- Best cities for families: Vienna, Graz and Innsbruck.
- Family-friendly visas: Red-White-Red Card and EU Blue Card routes. Clear family reunification routes for spouses and children.
Why it works for families: Vienna is consistently near the top of livability rankings such as EIU 2026 Most Livable Cities Index, because it works for families: spotless parks, immaculate playgrounds, and a U-Bahn/tram network that arrives when it says it will.
Schools are solid, vocational pathways respected, and international schools plentiful. Culture is a weekly habit at the Belvedere or Kunsthistorisches, while a visit to the Alps or the Danube Island is common during the weekends. Healthcare is reliable under the statutory system; childcare places are expanding in schools. The Red-White-Red Card and EU Blue Card are structured, with clear family reunification and access to services.
Compare the Countries by Your Family’s Priority
No single country wins on every metric, and each family will have their own personal preferences. For example, a family chasing world-class childcare (the Netherlands) has different needs than one prioritizing English-language schools (Ireland) or the lowest cost of living with real safety (Portugal). Use the comparisons below to match a country to what actually matters for your family.
Best for safety
Iceland, New Zealand, Switzerland, Ireland, Austria, Portugal, and Finland are among the most peaceful countries featured in this guide, according to the 2026 Global Peace Index. However, families should also compare local crime rates, neighborhood safety, healthcare access, and emergency services before choosing a city.
Best for education and childcare
Denmark and Sweden combine strong education systems with subsidized childcare and generous parental-leave policies, while the Netherlands performs particularly well in child well-being. Eligibility, availability, and fees for childcare can vary by municipality and residence status.
Best for affordability
Portugal offers one of the strongest combinations of affordability, safety and family-friendly residency options in Western Europe. Lisbon ranks #1 on the Global Citizen Solutions Most Livable Cities for Expats in 2026. Italy and Germany can also provide better value outside expensive cities such as Milan, Munich and Frankfurt. Families should compare rent, childcare, healthcare and international-school fees, as these costs vary considerably between cities.
Best for English-speaking families
Ireland, Canada, and New Zealand are the leading English-speaking options included in this ranking. They offer established education systems and family-friendly immigration pathways, although housing costs can be high in major cities. English is also widely spoken in the Netherlands and Nordic countries, but most public schools teach primarily in the national language.
