You better believe it: the Netherlands has been named the best country in Europe for digital nomads by the 2019 Remote Workers Index. 

Remote working the new normal

In today’s world, the notion of workers being chained to an office desk is fast becoming something of the past. Laptops, mobile phones and broadband connections mean that it is easier than ever for employees and businesses to reap the benefits of remote working. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has estimated that 50 percent of employees around the world will be working remotely by 2020. 

While the benefits of this are clear to both businesses and employees (reduced office expenditure, higher productivity, increased work satisfaction and flexible working hours), it is also clear that some countries are much better set up than others to suit the demands of freelancers, entrepreneurs and business owners. And the Netherlands, apparently, is Europe’s forerunner. 

The Netherlands tops the 2019 Remote Workers Index

The most recent ranking by Plusnet, a UK-based internet service provider, claims that the Netherlands is the best country in Europe for remote workers. 

Plusnet compared the 20 most populous EU countries based on 10 ranking factors to evaluate which best meets the needs of remote workers in 2019. The following factors were considered to work out an overall score:

• Percentage of people currently in remote work
• Number of co-working spaces
• Number of coffee shops
• Average price of coffee
• Number of Wi-Fi hotspots
• Internet Security Score
• EU Commission Transport Score
• Happiness Index score
• Rent Index score
• Cost of living

Leading the way for digital nomads

With an overall score of 682, the Netherlands just beat Germany to the top of the ranking. Germany came in second with 651 points, followed by Spain with 619. The Netherlands was particularly praised for the number of people in remote work (13,7 percent) and its EU Commission Transport Score (1). For both of these factors, the country came in first place. It also scored well (2nd) on the Internet Security Score.

Besides these factors, the Netherlands also ranks well, taking a top-three spot, on Wi-Fi hotspots, the number of coffee shops and the Happiness Index. This is all well and good, but before you decide to jet off to the Netherlands, keep in mind that it scores second last on the Rent Index and Cost of Living, making it a costly country.

The best countries for digital nomads 2019

The Netherlands takes the top spot, beating Germany thanks to the fact that the country is apparently a very happy nation, and has a lot of coffee shops (no, the other kind!). The other countries to make it to the top 10 were Germany, Spain, the UK, Poland, France, Sweden, Austria, Denmark and the Czech Republic. 

The full ranking was as follows:  

You can find a detailed breakdown of the scores, along with information on how they’re calculated, on Plusnet’s website.