For parents, ensuring a good life for their children is a priority that influences most of their big life choices. Moving abroad, expat parents have to consider various factors: will their children be safe, well-educated and entertained, will they be healthy and enjoy a good quality of life, how will they fit in the new social and natural environment, and so on.

There are many studies today exploring family friendliness of different countries around the world that can act as a sort of compass for potential expat parents. We’ve looked at a few of them to get an insight into which European countries are best suited for families with children.

Life is good for families in the Nordic countries

Nordic countries typically rank high in happiness, economic prosperity, overall quality of life and family well-being. Expat families are enjoying their new lives in the North: Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark all rank in the top 5 of the InterNations’ Family Life Index.

Northern countries are particularly kind to families due to generous parental leaves, quality and availability of education and a good balance between work and leisure time. Parents get to spend more time with their kids, and the kids ’get to be kids’, as they are spared the pressure of living in a more competitive society.

Finland impresses with quality of education

Finland was declared the ‘winner’ in the family life category for the second time in a row, ranking top in three out of four subcategories: quality of education, availability of childcare and education, and family well-being. In fact, 72% of expats parents believe that their children are getting excellent education in Finland, while only 56% said so in the second-best country, Singapore.

Norway is the best place to have a wonderful childhood

Norway came top in the OECD Better Life Index and second after Singapore in the HSBC Expat Explorer Survey. As one responder put it, Norway is ‘Ideal for people at the family stage of their life.’ Norway got high scores for work-life balance, quality of childcare and healthcare, and for the overall quality of life.

Children in Norway benefit from having an easy access to the outdoors; more than a half of all expats in Norway (59%) said they spend more time outdoors after moving. Norway (along with Slovenia) has also been named the best country for children to grow up in by the Save the Children organisation in 2017.

The Netherlands is great for the family experience

According to HSBC, the Netherlands is the most family friendly expat destination, ranking particularly well in healthcare, childcare and school quality. Reaching ninth place in the overall Family Life Index, the Netherlands is among the top three countries for the family wellbeing and the quality of education subcategories. Expat parents are however less happy about the cost and availability of education in their new country.

Children are safe and well-entertained in the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is the only non-Nordic country that made it to the top five of the Family Life Index. Expats who moved to the Czech Republic with their families rate their children’s health, safety and leisure options well above the global average. Expat parents appreciate the low costs of raising children in Czech Republic, while they aren’t as happy with integration and tolerance, as both of these aspects fare below average.

Families get a warm welcome in Portugal

Portugal is the country where expats feel most welcome – an aspect in which all the Nordic countries fall short. It seems that in the South, not only the weather is warmer, so are the people. Portugal is the friendliest country in expat’s eyes; a factor that undoubtedly helps families to settle in the new environment. Portugal also stands out for tolerance and social life, while school quality is not among its advantages.