Career success, friendships, travel, leisure time… We care strongly about these values, but when we become parents, they all become secondary to our family’s happiness. We start to base decisions on the well-being of our children, rather than our personal goals and desires.

Improving the family life is often a reason for moving to a new country with better living conditions. Conversely, a career opportunity abroad may be turned down because parents feel their children wouldn’t be happy in the new country.

We already looked into which countries in Europe are the most family-friendly , and we were happy to find Norway among them.

So what makes Norway so good for 'people at the family stage of life’?

• Culture is family-oriented.

Family is a highly respected value in Norway, which makes the country great for working parents. There is an unwritten agreement in most workplaces that family comes first, no matter how important your work is – even government can ‘wait’ while ministers are on their parental leaves. The latter are generous and offered to both parents, so that they can take equal part in caring for their newborns.

Due to sufficient flexibility, parents don’t need nannies to pick up their young ones from day-care, and it is generally accepted to leave early to attend kids’ ballet recitals or soccer matches.

Norway is also one of the countries with best work-life balance. Parents very rarely work long hours or waste precious time on long commutes. Instead, they get to explore the breath-taking Norwegian nature with their children.

• Norway is one big outdoor playground

Norway is roughly the size of Germany but with only 5,3 million inhabitants. In fact, if you placed the entire world’s population in Norway, there would be more than 50 m2 for each person to move around. So children have plenty of room to roam the scenic Norwegian outdoors, as well as the freedom to do so: by law, everyone has the right to hike and camp anywhere in the countryside without the fear of trespassing.

All major cities have nature on their doorstep. Children are encouraged to spend time outdoors since kindergarten, where a big share of activities takes place outside even when the weather is wet and coldt.

Norwegians generally love spending time in nature, and it looks like the expats aren’t immune to its charms either. The majority say they are spending more time outdoors since they have moved here.

• The government helps with expenses.

Generous parental leaves (49 weeks) and other family-friendly policies are a part of Norway’s welfare state. Education is free from primary school throughout college. The government provides childcare subsidies and financial support for pupils and students in college and higher degrees to ensure equal possibilities for everyone. Healthcare is free and available to everyone, covered by the public health insurance.

• In Norway, kids can be kids

In 2017, Norway was declared as the best country for children in a report that investigates the degree to which childhood is threatened in countries around the world. Norway lets kids be kids; they are raised under the philosophy of free upbringing and strongly protected by children’s rights.

Rather than promoting competitiveness, schools teach pupils how to cooperate, in fact, they don’t receive any grades throughout primary school. Children feel happy in school, among the happiest compared to other countries.

• Norway is the country with the best quality of life

For the second time in a row, Norway is found to be the best country in the world to live in by the OECD’s Better Life Index. Residents in Norway enjoy a high standard of living; most have jobs with good income, a high level of education and a great work-life balance. They are happy, healthy and safe, surrounded with an exceptionally healthy environment.

Is it a ‘pie in the (Northern) sky’ or a realistic possibility?

The vast majority of expats confirm that their family lives really did change for the better after they moved to Norway. It is however important to note that every place in the world comes with its own difficulties.

The dark and cold winters may catch some people off guard. Moreover, as the welfare state is maintained by high taxes, Norway is quite an expensive country, which can be overwhelming at first and take some time to get used to.

Expats who already have a job offer are at a considerable advantage. Many companies are happy to help with paperwork, housing, enrolment in schools, and even finding work for spouses. Although Norway has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world, finding a job may take some time, but knowing the basics of the language helps a great deal.

Overall, the wealthy and socially progressive welfare state takes good care of people, so living in Norway is mostly calm and worry-free.

But there is a lot more to it! We’ve covered many aspects in our new ebook. You can download it to learn more about how it is to live and work in one of the richest and happiest countries in the world.