Most Stressful Country To Be A Learner Driver

by Zutobi · Updated Aug 04, 2026

Learning to drive can be a stressful and anxiety-inducing experience for anyone. Getting behind the wheel is a high-pressure situation, especially when it’s all so new to you and it can be easy to feel out of your depth.

All manner of things can affect how easy the process is, from the safety and congestion of the roads to the costs involved with things such as fuel and buying your first car.

But where do learner drivers have things the toughest? We’ve analyzed these factors and more in a number of countries around the world to see where are the most stressful for learners, and where you’re more likely to ace your driving test.

We ranked each country on the following four factors: congestion, road traffic deaths, registered vehicles, and road quality score. We gave each a normalized score out of 10 before taking an average across all four scores.

1. Poland

Poland tops the list this year, scoring 2.27 out of 10 in terms of learning to drive. The country has a high number of vehicles on the roads, at approximately 68,176 per 100,000 people. Poland’s road traffic death rate stands at 5.6 per 100,000 people, and its road infrastructure quality is rated at 4.14 out of 100. Congestion has climbed sharply to 54.76%, up significantly from previous years, pushing Poland to the top of the most stressful list for learner drivers.

2. Romania

Second is Romania, with a score of 2.45 out of 10. The country continues to face significant challenges with road safety, with a road traffic death rate of 8.1 per 100,000 people. Romania’s road infrastructure quality remains extremely low, with a score of 2.96 out of 100, the worst in the entire ranking. Congestion has also worsened to 62.50%, keeping Romania near the very top of the most stressful countries for learner drivers.

3. Czechia

Third is Czechia, with a score of 2.92 out of 10. The country’s road traffic death rate sits at 4.7 per 100,000 people, and its road quality is rated at 3.95 out of 100. With around 67,440 registered vehicles per 100,000 people and congestion at 46.73%, Czechia remains a challenging environment for new drivers.

Most Stressful Country To Be A Learner Driver

Rank	Country	Congestion level	Road traffic death rate per 100,000 people	Registered vehicles (per 100,000 people)	Road quality score	Overall score /10
1	Poland	54.76%	5.6	68,176	4.14	2.26
2	Romania	62.50%	8.1	48,402	2.96	2.44
3	Czechia	46.73%	4.7	67,440	3.95	2.92
4	Argentina	48.10%	8.9	46,952	3.43	2.98
5	Philippines	57.00%	11.2	17,413	3.53	3.15
6	Mexico	75.90%	13.1	30,451	4.50	3.22
7	Lithuania	50.80%	5.7	64,346	4.70	3.27
8	Hungary	61.90%	5.3	50,073	3.89	3.28
9	New Zealand	39.50%	7.1	93,400	4.68	3.45
12	Bulgaria	47.00%	5.8	44,993	3.52	3.57
12	Latvia	44.90%	7.3	47,452	3.45	3.57
12	Slovakia	44.60%	5.5	60,535	3.96	3.57
13	Malaysia	43.40%	17.3	65,411	5.45	3.75
15	Greece	48.05%	6.6	58,602	4.73	3.81
15	Estonia	45.70%	3.3	75,127	4.68	3.81
16	Italy	38.20%	4.8	76,197	4.39	3.87
17	Iceland	42.20%	2.6	76,206	4.14	3.93
18	Australia	42.16%	4.4	73,823	4.77	4.35
19	Chile	52.40%	10.0	30,582	5.22	4.53
20	Turkey	46.30%	9.3	34,460	4.93	4.59
21	Ireland	60.70%	2.0	50,401	4.48	4.94
23	Egypt	40.50%	14.4	8,243	4.52	5.06
23	United States	30.84%	12.8	74,261	5.87	5.06
24	Luxembourg	41.30%	3.1	80,093	5.34	5.18
25	Finland	42.10%	2.7	74,709	5.26	5.30
26	Canada	39.42%	4.9	64,990	5.21	5.36
27	Belgium	34.45%	4.1	59,449	4.39	5.42
28	Slovenia	40.40%	4.1	56,749	4.66	5.54
29	United Kingdom	45.76%	2.1	59,629	5.17	5.60
30	Portugal	37.04%	5.6	69,261	6.05	5.72
31	Austria	45.40%	3.8	57,097	5.89	6.07
32	Saudi Arabia	30.10%	32.4	19,621	4.97	6.13
34	Japan	42.54%	1.9	67,713	6.02	6.55
34	France	36.20%	4.0	66,520	5.96	6.55
36	Germany	40.17%	2.6	63,004	5.46	6.61
36	Norway	29.85%	2.1	61,914	4.55	6.61
37	Spain	31.30%	3.4	64,157	5.63	6.97
38	Israel	32.05%	4.0	41,460	4.99	7.32
39	Denmark	42.06%	2.0	53,125	5.55	7.38
40	Switzerland	43.26%	1.8	58,837	6.36	7.44
41	Netherlands	36.63%	3.2	54,746	6.18	7.74
42	Sweden	34.10%	2.0	53,265	5.57	8.10
43	Singapore	43.90%	1.9	16,932	6.45	8.45

Best Countries for Learner Drivers

At the other end of the spectrum, the best countries for learning to drive include:

Singapore (8.46 out of 10) – Despite moderate congestion of 43.9%, Singapore excels with the best road quality in the study (6.45/100) and the lowest road traffic death rate among analyzed countries at just 1.9 per 100,000 people.

Sweden (8.10 out of 10) – With relatively low congestion (34.1%), a low death rate (2.0 per 100,000), and solid road quality (5.57/100), Sweden remains an excellent environment for learner drivers.

Netherlands (7.74 out of 10) – The Netherlands offers strong road infrastructure (6.18/100) and manageable congestion (36.63%), with a death rate of 3.2 per 100,000.

Switzerland (7.44 out of 10) – Switzerland combines one of the lowest death rates in the study (1.8 per 100,000) with strong road quality (6.36/100), despite congestion of 43.26%.

Denmark (7.38 out of 10) – Denmark rounds out the top five, with a low death rate (2.0 per 100,000), good road quality (5.55/100), and congestion of 42.06%.

What is Congestion?

Congestion refers to the overcrowding of vehicles on the road, leading to slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. High congestion levels mean that the average journey in major cities takes significantly longer than it would under free-flow conditions. This can make learning to drive particularly challenging due to the constant stopping and starting in traffic, which can hinder concentration and smooth driving practice.

Congestion – Mexico (75.9%)

When learning to drive, you want your lessons and test to be as smooth as possible, and constant stopping and starting in traffic can make concentrating on the task at hand a lot harder. Of the countries we looked at, Mexico has by far the highest level of traffic congestion, with a score of 75.9%, up sharply from previous years, meaning the average journey in Mexico City takes 75.9% longer than it would under free-flow conditions, making it the most congested country in the study by a wide margin.

Road traffic deaths – Saudi Arabia (32.4 per 100,000 people)

Being safe on the road is the number one concern for everyone, especially learners. The worst country on our list for the safety of its drivers is once again Saudi Arabia, where there are now an estimated 32.4 annual road traffic deaths per 100,000 people. Road accidents remain a significant public health concern in Saudi Arabia.

Registered vehicles – New Zealand (93,400 per 100,000 people)

While first and foremost you have to focus on your own actions as a learner driver, it’s also important to be aware of other road users. The country that has the highest proportion of vehicles on the road is now New Zealand, with 93,400 registered vehicles per 100,000 people.

Road quality score – Romania (2.96 out of 100)

As well as being among the lowest scoring countries overall, Romania again had the worst score when it came to the quality of road infrastructure in the country. While major urban streets are in fairly good condition in Romania, the issue lies with smaller secondary roads, which often have poor lighting and narrow, unmarked lanes.

Best Countries for Learner Drivers

At the other end of the spectrum, the best countries for learning to drive include:

Singapore (8.87 out of 10) – Despite moderate congestion of 29%, Singapore excels with excellent road quality (6.45/100) and the lowest road traffic death rate among analyzed countries at just 1.9 per 100,000 people.

Sweden (8.28 out of 10) – With low congestion (22%), a low death rate (2.1 per 100,000), and good road quality (5.57/100), Sweden provides an excellent environment for learner drivers.

Netherlands and Denmark (7.56 out of 10 each) – Both countries offer strong road infrastructure, low death rates (3.4 and 2.3 per 100,000 respectively), and manageable congestion levels.

Methodology

We ranked each country on the following four factors, giving each a normalized score out of 10 for each, before taking an average across all four scores.

Congestion

The congestion level according to TomTom’s 2025 Traffic Index. This percentage shows the additional time that a journey would take in each city when compared to free-flow conditions.

Road traffic deaths

The mortality caused by road traffic injury (per 100,000 population), according to Our World in Data.

Registered vehicles

The number of registered vehicles (per 100,000 population) according to the World Popu l ation Review.

Road quality score

The quality of road infrastructure scores out of 100 according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report.

Download by the link: The Most Stressful Countries For The Learner Drivers 2023 Report

The Most Stressful Country To Be A Learner Driver 2024 Report

The Most Stressful Country To Be A Learner Driver 2025 Report

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