While you can’t choose the country you’re born in, you can decide where to spend your time as a young adult, and staying in a Dutch city seems like a great choice according to a new study from Alorix. The Netherlands has been ranked as the European country with the best living conditions for young adults. 

Ranking of top European countries for young adults

Which countries provide the best opportunities for the younger generation to embrace global cultural heritage and travel, while having a good quality of life? Travel app Alorix has compiled a list of the best and worst European countries for young adults to live in. The ranking looked at the 27 countries in the European Union and compared six main factors to determine their standing:

• The percentage of the average salary that goes towards one month of rent in the capital city
• Number of Big Macs that can be purchased with the average salary
• Crime rate 
• Level of education
• Job opportunities
• Happiness index

According to the travel app, these factors have an impact on whether young adults learn about the cultural heritage of other countries and how easy it is to travel abroad. Claiming the number one spot is the Netherlands, while Italy was found to be the worst country for young adults.

Dutch young people have best living conditions in Europe

The Netherlands made it into the top five for four of the six factors of the ranking, earning it the crown as the best European country for people in their 20s. Where the Netherlands shines is the Big Macs per salary index, where Dutch residents can afford 533 Big Macs with the average monthly wage. 

Another factor that took the country to the top of the list is that the Netherlands is the fifth-happiest country in the world and the fourth-happiest in Europe. A high number of young adults with a diploma, at 54,5 percent, and a low unemployment rate of just 3,64 percent also contributed to the accomplishment - with these numbers, it’s no wonder more international students stay in the Netherlands after graduating. 

Where the Netherlands doesn’t shine so brightly is when it comes to rental opportunities. Not only is there a housing shortage, but the cost of rental housing is also among the highest of the European countries. 54,42 percent of the average monthly salary of young people goes towards rent. 

Best and worst European countries for young adults

In all, these are the top five countries for the younger generation:

1. The Netherlands
2. Austria
3. Poland
4. Cyprus
5. Luxembourg

Here are the five worst countries for young adults:

1. Italy
2. Portugal
3. Greece
4. Slovakia
5. France

For more information about the study and to see the full ranking, visit the Alorix website.

Thumb image credit: Dutch_Photos / Shutterstock.com