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Family Relocation Ease Index 2026

Where should you move with your family? Ranking 200 countries across 5 dimensions that matter most to families relocating internationally.

200 countries
5 family dimensions
Updated April 2026
TL;DR

Hungary ranks #1 for family relocation with a composite score of 79.7/100, followed by Spain (78.8) and Germany (78.4). The index weights safety (30%), healthcare (25%), education infrastructure (15%), spouse work rights (15%), and cost affordability (15%). 18 countries score in the 'Excellent' tier (75+).

Top 20 Countries -- Family Relocation Ease

Composite score from 0 to 100. Component scores shown individually. Safety and healthcare carry the highest weights at 30% and 25% respectively.

# Country Score Safety Health Education Spouse Afford.
1
Hungary flagHungary
79.7
 88 78.2 80 80 65
2
Spain flagSpain
78.8
 86 87 80 80 48
3
Germany flagGermany
78.4
 87 92 80 80 35
4
Portugal flagPortugal
78.1
 91 81.2 80 80 43
5
Poland flagPoland
77.9
 82 78 80 80 65
6
Canada flagCanada
77.7
 88 88 80 80 35
7
Czech Republic flagCzech Republic
77.2
 89 82 60 80 60
8
Austria flagAustria
76.6
 93 92 60 80 31
9
South Korea flagSouth Korea
76.6
 82 88 80 80 40
10
Croatia flagCroatia
76.4
 87 78 60 80 65
11
Switzerland flagSwitzerland
76.4
 93 92 80 80 10
12
Italy flagItaly
76.1
 83 83 80 80 43
13
Norway flagNorway
76
 84 95 80 80 20
14
Taiwan flagTaiwan
75.9
 83 82 80 80 43
15
Romania flagRomania
75.8
 82 68 80 80 68
16
Chile flagChile
75.5
 78 78 80 80 57
17
Japan flagJapan
75.5
 89 78 80 80 35
18
Serbia flagSerbia
75.4
 77 74 80 80 65
19
France flagFrance
74.9
 76 93 80 80 32
20
Finland flagFinland
74.5
 90 92 60 80 23

Showing top 20 of 200 countries ranked.

Download full 191-country dataset (CSV)

Methodology

The Family Relocation Ease Index measures how well each country supports families moving from abroad, using five weighted dimensions.

Safety (30%)

Personal safety and security score (0-100). Primary source: Global Peace Index 2025 (GPI), normalised to 0-100 scale. Highest-weighted dimension because family safety is non-negotiable.

Healthcare (25%)

Quality and accessibility of healthcare system. Source: Numbeo Healthcare Index + WHO Global Health Observatory. Covers hospital quality, insurance accessibility, and paediatric care.

Education (15%)

Education infrastructure scored by university count: >50 universities = 80, >20 = 60, ≤20 = 40. A proxy for the breadth of schooling options including international schools.

Spouse Work Rights (15%)

Whether any visa programme in the country grants full work rights to the accompanying spouse. Score: 80 if yes, 40 if no. Sourced from programme database visa parameters.

Affordability (15%)

Cost of living score from 0 to 100 (derived from cost dimension, scaled by 10x). Higher = more affordable. Covers rent, groceries, utilities, and schooling costs.

The composite score is a weighted sum: (Safety × 0.30) + (Healthcare × 0.25) + (Education × 0.15) + (Spouse Work × 0.15) + (Affordability × 0.15). Safety and healthcare carry the highest weights because they represent non-negotiable priorities for families with children.

Limitations: The education score is a coarse proxy -- university count does not directly measure primary/secondary school quality or availability of English-language instruction. Spouse work rights are binary (yes/no) and do not capture restrictions on sectors or hours. Affordability does not adjust for purchasing power parity or family size. The index measures country-level averages and may not reflect conditions in specific cities.

Read full methodology →

How to Use This Data

This index helps families shortlist countries that balance safety, quality of life, and practical relocation factors. But your family's specific needs matter more than any ranking.

A family with school-age children may prioritise education quality over affordability. A family where both parents work may weight spouse work rights higher. A family with medical needs may require a specific level of healthcare. Take the free assessment to get family-specific recommendations based on your real profile.

Primary Data Sources

  1. Institute for Economics & Peace -- Global Peace Index 2025. Annual ranking of 163 nations by peacefulness. visionofhumanity.org
  2. Numbeo -- Healthcare Index 2026 & Cost of Living Index 2026. Crowdsourced healthcare quality and cost data, updated quarterly. numbeo.com
  3. World Health Organization -- Global Health Observatory 2024. Healthcare access, coverage, and quality indicators. who.int/data
  4. QS & THE -- World University Rankings 2025. University counts and ranking data by country. topuniversities.com
  5. WhereToEmigrate -- Internal Programme Database 2026. 1,868 visa pathways. Spouse work rights extracted from visa parameters. wheretoemigrate.io