Single Women’s Liveability Index

Embarking on an adventure to live abroad can be exciting and courageous. As a single woman there are numerous factors to consider, especially when you’re doing it alone in a new country.

Before making the leap, women may want to discover the gender equality and safety factors in the countries on their shortlist. Furthermore, when it comes to finding a home and applying for a home loan overseas, women may want to research the average annual income and mortgage interest rates. These factors can provide insight into future employment and economic opportunities in a new country.

As experts in comparison, home loans, interest rates and refinancing, we wanted to find out where Australia ranks in terms of single women’s liveability by comparing 32 countries and creating an index across six different metrics. These metrics include the percentage of women who feel safe walking home at night, average annual wage, percentage of the gender wage gap closed, happiness score, annual mortgage interest rate, and women’s healthy life expectancy age. We ranked the countries based on these factors to determine where the best and worst are for single women looking to live in a different country.

Single Women’s Liveability Index 2025

The best countries for women living alone

1. Switzerland – 8.50 / 10

Switzerland ranked first, as the best country for single women’s liveability, performing well across all the factors in our index. It had the highest annual income in our index at around AUD$180,000, and an above-average gender wage gap of 78.5% closed. Swiss women scored well in terms of safety, with 86.8% expressing a sense of safety when walking home at night. Notably, this was 1% higher than what Swiss men scored. Women from Switzerland had the fourth-highest life expectancy age at 71.4, and had the second-lowest annual mortgage rate in our index at 2.39% for a fixed 20-year mortgage. Living in Switzerland offers an exceptional quality of life, safety, and stunning natural landscapes. However, one thing to keep in mind is that high wages will come with a higher cost of living.

2. Luxembourg – 8.13 / 10

Luxembourg ranked second for the best liveability for single women. Luxembourg had the third highest annual salary in the list. While it is the seventh smallest country in Europe, which may explain the high safety score, 87.9% of women residents expressed feeling safe when walking home at night, the highest in our index. Combined with the fourth lowest mortgage interest rate of 3.43% in our index, Luxembourg is an appealing country for a woman looking to move abroad.

3. Finland – 7.82 / 10

Finland, our first Nordic country to be ranked, came in third in our index. They scored the highest happiness score at 7.736; they have scored first place in the World Happiness Report every year since 2018. Finland had the second-highest gender wage gap reported of 87.5% closed, and also reported a low mortgage interest rate of 3.73%.If you don’t mind the cold, appreciate nature and want to experience living in the world’s happiest country, Finland could be for you.

The worst countries for women living alone

1. Hungary – 0.96 / 10

Hungary, unfortunately, was ranked the worst country for women living alone in our index. Hungary had the third lowest gender wage gap closed of only 68.6%, paired with a low annual income of AUD$31,307. They had the second lowest happiness report score of 5.776 and the third lowest life expectancy of women with 66.7 years. All this combined with the third highest mortgage rate of 7.34%, Hungary might not be the best choice when moving abroad.

2. Greece – 1.73 / 10

Greece was ranked second-to-last among the worst countries to live in for single women. Greece had the lowest happiness score in our index and ranked 81 out of 100 in the World Happiness Report. The nation scored below average on both the gender wage gap, with a close of 71.4%, and on interest rates with an annual rate of 4.64%. This, combined with a low 53.7% of women who reported feeling safe when they walk home alone at night, means Greece might be a better place for a holiday than for a new home.

3. Mexico – 2.04 / 10

Mexico was ranked third-worst in our single women’s liveability index. Mexican women felt the most unsafe when walking home alone at night, with only 40.4% reporting they felt comfortable. Mexico had the lowest average annual salary of AU$18,699.91 and the highest mortgage interest rate of 11.21%. One thing that helped Mexico’s ranking was its happiness score of 6.979, which was the ninth best in our index.

The safest countries for women

According to the research, Luxembourg is the safest country for women. They had the highest proportion of women who reported feeling safe when walking home at night, with 87.9% reporting as much. Norway followed closely with 87.4% of women feeling safe, followed by Switzerland with 86.8% of women expressing the same.

The happiest countries

Finland ranked first in the World Happiness Report, which measures several factors, including how residents feel about their lives, along with GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. Finland started the winning streak in the 2018 report and has continued to rank first through to the 2025 report. Other Nordic countries such as Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway have consistently followed close behind, but Finland remains the clear leader seven years on.

The countries with the lowest mortgage rate

If you are looking to buy a house, consider the average mortgage interest rate offered in the country of your choice. According to the research, Japan reported the lowest annual mortgage rate at 1.8%, followed by Switzerland at 2.39% and Portugal with 3%, making them all attractive places to settle down and live.

The countries closing the gender wage gap

Iceland reported the best gender wage gap with 93.5% closed, ranking first and leading the Gender Gap Report for the past 15 years. It also remains the only country to have closed over 90% of its gender wage gap. Meanwhile, Finland, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden and Germany have closed over 80% of their gender wage gap.

The longest life expectancy for women

Japan had the longest healthy life expectancy for women in our index at 74.8 years. This may be because they don’t have the stress of a high mortgage rate! Spanish women were reported to live the second-longest at 71.8 years, and Luxembourg was a close third at 71.7 years.

How does Australia compare?

Australia scored 5.08 out of 10, ranking around the middle of the global index. Women had a relatively high life expectancy of 71.1 years and a strong wellbeing with Australia ranked 11^th in the World Happiness Report. However, Australia’s score was let down by the gender wage gap having only closed by 78%, and safety could be a concern, with only 53.4% of women expressing feeling safe when walking home alone at night – the third lowest in our index. Financially, the average annual mortgage rate sits at the higher end of the index at 6.27%, which is significant for those considering home ownership.