You might not have guessed it, but you better believe it: Germany has been named the second-best country in Europe for digital nomads by the 2019 Remote Workers Index. 

Remote working the new normal

In today’s world, the notion of workers being chained to an office desk is fast becoming something of the past. Laptops, mobile phones and broadband connections mean that it is easier than ever for employees and businesses to reap the benefits of remote working. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has estimated that 50 percent of employees around the world will be working remotely by 2020. 

While the benefits of this are clear to both businesses and employees (reduced office expenditure, higher productivity, increased work satisfaction and flexible working hours), it is also clear that some countries are much better set up than others to suit the demands of freelancers, entrepreneurs and business owners. And Germany, apparently, is one of Europe’s forerunners. 

Germany scores highly in 2019 Remote Workers Index

Given that digital life in Germany is widely regarded as leaving much to be desired, it may come as something of a surprise - but the most recent ranking by Plusnet, a UK-based internet service provider, claims that Germany is the second-best country in Europe for remote workers. 

Plusnet compared the 20 most populous EU countries based on 10 ranking factors to evaluate which best meets the needs of remote workers in 2019. The following factors were considered to work out an overall score:

• Percentage of people currently in remote work
• Number of co-working spaces
• Number of coffee shops
• Average price of coffee
• Number of Wi-Fi hotspots
• Internet security score
• EU Commission Transport score
• Happiness Index score
• Rent Index score
• Cost of living

Germany well-connected but expensive

With an overall score of 651, Germany came in second place, just behind the Netherlands with 682 and ahead of Spain with 619. The federal republic was particularly praised for its number of Wi-Fi hotspots (1st place overall) and co-working spaces (3rd). 

One thing held Germany back from achieving a higher score: it’s expensive. It ranked outside the top 10 on three factors: average price of coffee (11th), cost of living (11th) and Rent Index score (15th). So, you may be able to easily find somewhere to whip out your laptop and start working, but you might not be able to afford a drink, or even your rent… 

The best countries for digital nomads 2019

The Netherlands pipped Germany to the top spot thanks to the fact that the Dutch are apparently a very happy nation, and have a lot of coffee shops (no, the other kind!). The other countries to make it to the top 10 were Spain, the UK, Poland, France, Sweden, Austria, Denmark and the Czech Republic. 

The full ranking was as follows:  

You can find a detailed breakdown of the scores, along with information on how they’re calculated, on Plusnet’s website.