Croatia is the 24th overall best country for remote work
20.10.2023
Croatia is the 24th overall best country to work remotely, according to new research by cybersecurity company NordLayer. Last year, the company created the Global Remote Work Index (GRWI), which reveals the best and worst countries to work remotely in terms of four different criteria: cyber safety, economic safety, digital and physical infrastructure, and social safety.
This year, NordLayer evaluated 108 countries compared to 66 last year. Here are the top 10 countries that are best for remote work according to this year’s data:
1.Denmark
1.Denmark
2.The Netherlands
3.Germany
4.Spain
5.Sweden
6.Portugal
7.Estonia
8.Lithuania
9.Ireland
10.Slovakia
The index was compiled by assessing and comparing countries using four index dimensions. Under each dimension are various attributes (sub-dimensions) that, combined, help evaluate general remote-work attractiveness:
1. Cyber safety — infrastructure, response capacity, and legal measures.
2. Economic safety — tourism attractiveness, English language proficiency, cost of living, and healthcare.
3. Digital and physical infrastructure — internet quality and affordability, e-infrastructure, e-government, and physical infrastructure.
4. Social safety — personal rights, inclusiveness, and safety.
How does Croatia rank?
Croatia ranks 24th in the general GRWI list out of 108 countries studied. In particular, its tourism attractiveness (11th), with excellent weather conditions during the year, makes it a very appealing remote work destination. As locals rank fairly proficient in English there (12th), many nomads will feel welcome.
Cybersecurity is one more aspect that makes a perfect work destination. Cyber safety-wise, Croatia ranks 7th in the global index overall, thanks to its superb response capacity (3rd) and legal measurements (2nd).
However, despite the beautiful views of the Adriatic Sea and relatively low cost of living (58th), Croatia needs to improve the country’s digital and physical infrastructure (45th), which not only affects the country cybersecurity-wise (Croatian cybersecurity infrastructure is in 30th place). Internet affordability (50th), e-government (55th), and internet quality (40th) could also be much better.
How does Croatia look compared to other countries in the region?
Compared to other countries in a similar region, Croatia ranks pretty highly. The only country that ranks higher is Slovakia, ranking 10th in the general GRWI list. Slovakia ranks higher than Croatia because of its cyber safety rank — Slovakia is the most cyber-safe country in the world, according to GRWI.
Serbia and Slovenia rank lower than Croatia regarding cyber safety, with Serbia ranking 10th and Slovenia ranking 28th. However, Slovenia ranks higher in social safety and digital and physical infrastructure rankings.
Serbia ranks 37th on the general GRWI list. It is because of the country's social safety (46th) and economic safety (45th). The research showed that the country also lacks a proper healthcare system (53rd) and could work more on social inclusiveness (49th) and personal rights (49th).
Slovenia ranks lower than Croatia for a couple of reasons. Even though it is a pretty attractive tourist destination (10th) and its safety index is 17th in the world, Slovenia still ranks lower in inclusiveness (26th) and healthcare (22nd). Also, its cost of living is the highest compared to other countries in the region (65th).
