List of countries by average annual labor hours

The average length of working time in different countries depends on a number of economic, social and societal factors. Another important factor is the extent to which part-time work is widespread, which is less common in developing countries. In 2017, the Southeast Asian state of Cambodia had the longest average working hours worldwide among 66 countries studied. Here, the working time per worker was around 2,456 hours per year, which is just under 47 hours per week. In Germany, on the other hand, it was just under 1,354 hours per year (26 per week and 3.7 per day), which was the lowest of all the countries studied. ^[1]

In most countries, the weekly working hours are decreasing with increasing prosperity and higher productivity. In Germany, for example, the average weekly working time of a person not employed in agriculture and working full-time fell by almost 40 percent between 1870 and 2010. In developed countries, the average working time is therefore usually significantly shorter than in developing countries. However, there are exceptions. These include countries such as South Korea and Singapore which still have comparable long working hours despite high incomes. ^[1]

Our World in Data

The following list is the average annual working time per employed person (men and women) in hours. Data is not available for all countries of the world. ^[1]

Average annual labor hours

Country	Working hours
	Per person employed (2017) [1]	Per worker (2019) [2]
Cambodia	2,455.55	2,475
Myanmar	2,437.86	2,447
Mexico	2,255.00	2,137
Malaysia	2,238.27	2,197
Singapore	2,255.73	2,330
Bangladesh	2,232.35	2,419
Costa Rica	2,212.38	2,069
South Africa	2,209.09	2,191
Hong Kong	2,185.58	2,148
Thailand	2,185.45	2,093
China	2,174.35	2,169
Vietnam	2,169.59	2,132
Philippines	2,148.56	2,168
Dominican Republic	–	2,142
India	2,117.01	2,123
Pakistan	2,096.14	1,967
South Korea	2,063.33	1,980
Malta	2,040.03	1,915
Poland	2,028.50	2,023
Indonesia	2,024.29	2,020
Greece	2,016.90	2,036
Colombia	1,997.75	1,968
Taiwan	1,990.32	2,085
Chile	1,974.00	1,914
Russia	1,974.00	1,965
Hungary	1,937.33	1,725
Peru	1,932.46	2,140
Sri Lanka	1,923.94	1,923
Israel	1,920.61	1,901
Latvia	1,874.60	1,865
Portugal	1,863.17	1,865
Estonia	1,856.68	1,797
Lithuania	1,844.02	1,886
Croatia	1,834.93	1,831
Turkey	1,832.00	1,832
Nigeria	1,827.24	–
Romania	1,806.00	1,792
Cyprus	1,783.52	1,805
Czech Republic	1,776.16	1,788
United States	1,765.00	1,765
New Zealand	1,752.00	1,779
Ireland	1,745.68	1,772
Slovakia	1,745.23	1,695
Japan	1,738.36	1,691
Austria	1,731.49	1,611
Italy	1,722.61	1,718
Brazil	1,709.49	1,708
Ecuador	1,701.36	1,552
Canada	1,696.46	1,689
Argentina	1,691.54	1,609
Spain	1,686.50	1,686
United Kingdom	1,670.27	1,668
Finland	1,659.28	1,591
Slovenia	1,655.09	1,593
Bulgaria	1,643.55	1,645
Australia	1,613.05	1,727
Sweden	1,609.29	1,605
Switzerland	1,589.68	1,557
Uruguay	1,552.35	1,533
Belgium	1,544.27	1,586
Luxembourg	1,518.86	1,506
France	1,514.14	1,505
Iceland	1,493.37	1,454
Netherlands	1,430.02	1,440
Norway	1,417.47	1,384
Denmark	1,400.38	1,381
Germany	1,353.89	1,386

OECD list

The following list is the average annual hours worked by participants in the labor force of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) member states. ^[3] As of 2022, Colombia, Mexico, and Costa Rica ranked the highest number of hours worked per year. Greece ranked the highest In EU with 1886 average hours per year, while Germany ranked the lowest with 1340 average hours worked respectively. ^{[4] [5]} Japan and Canada ranked lowest amongst non-European countries.

Average labor hours per worker in OECD countries

Code	Country	2022	2020	2015	2010	2005	2000	1990	1980	1970	1960	1950
AUS	Australia	1,707	1,683	1,751	1,778	1,808	1,852	1,853	–	–	–	–
AUT	Austria	1,443	1,400	1,495	1,552	1,632	1,675	–	–	–	–	–
BEL	Belgium	1,525	1,481	1,575	1,574	1,578	1,589	1,663	1,707	1,883	–	–
BGR	Bulgaria	1,618	1,605	1,644	1,645	1,659	1,640	–	–	–	–	–
CAN	Canada	1,686	1,644	1,712	1,715	1,745	1,787	1,797	1,827	1,925	–	–
CHL	Chile	1,962	1,825	1,994	2,070	2,157	2,263	2,422	–	–	–	–
COL	Colombia	2,405	–	2,194	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
CRI	Costa Rica	2,149	1,913	2,148	2,243	2,352	2,362	2,358	–	–	–	–
HRV	Croatia	1,810	1,834	1,827	1,942	1,926	1,922	–	–	–	–	–
CYP	Cyprus	1,837	1,698	1,824	1,845	1,847	1,926	–	–	–	–	–
CZE	Czech Republic	1,754	1,705	1,751	1,799	1,803	1,900	–	–	–	–	–
DNK	Denmark	1,371	1,346	1,407	1,422	1,451	1,466	1,441	1,577	1,845	–	–
EST	Estonia	1,770	1,654	1,763	1,785	1,913	1,884	–	–	–	–	–
EU27	European Union	1,570	1,513	1,607	1,632	1,652	1,678	–	–	–	–	–
FIN	Finland	1,498	1,531	1,555	1,585	1,613	1,650	1,671	1,732	1,918	1,967	–
FRA	France	1,511	1,402	1,519	1,540	1,532	1,558	1,645	1,806	1,993	2,188	2,351
DEU	Germany	1,340	1,332	1,401	1,426	1,432	1,466	–	–	–	–	–
GRC	Greece	1,886	1,728	1,935	1,931	2,025	1,998	1,976	–	–	–	–
HUN	Hungary	1,699	1,660	1,746	1,766	1,834	1,932	2,082	2,348	–	–	–
ISL	Iceland	1,449	1,435	1,511	1,528	1,637	1,696	1,665	1,688	1,954	–	–
IRL	Ireland	1,657	1,746	1,771	1,721	1,883	1,933	2,081	2,123	2,335	–	–
ISR	Israel	1,891	1,783	1,895	1,957	1,966	2,033	1,904	–	–	–	–
ITA	Italy	1,694	1,559	1,718	1,777	1,811	1,850	–	–	–	–	–
JPN	Japan	1,607	1,598	1,719	1,733	1,775	1,821	2,031	2,121	2,243	–	–
KOR	South Korea	1,901	1,908	2,083	2,163	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
LVA	Latvia	1,553	1,577	1,663	1,692	1,666	1,728	–	–	–	–	–
LTU	Lithuania	1,624	1,595	1,673	1,697	1,659	1,630	–	–	–	–	–
LUX	Luxembourg	1,473	1,427	1,514	1,517	1,550	1,602	–	–	–	–	–
MLT	Malta	1,881	1,827	1,955	2,136	2,167	2,246	–	–	–	–	–
MEX	Mexico	2,226	2,124	2,140	2,150	2,105	2,174	–	–	–	–	–
NLD	Netherlands	1,427	1,399	1,426	1,420	1,434	1,464	1,454	1,556	1,809	–	–
NZL	New Zealand	1,748	1,739	1,753	1,755	1,815	1,836	1,809	–	–	–	–
NOR	Norway	1,424	1,369	1,392	1,395	1,406	1,457	1,503	1,580	1,835	–	–
OECD	OECD	1,751	1,687	1,764	1,772	1,793	1,825	1,860	1,893	1,966	–	–
POL	Poland	1,814	1,766	1,862	1,831	1,855	1,869	–	–	–	–	–
PRT	Portugal	1,635	1,613	1,732	1,746	1,750	1,770	1,806	1,849	1,963	–	–
ROU	Romania	1,808	1,795	1,786	1,841	1,877	1,853	–	–	–	–	–
RUS	Russia	1,874	1,874	1,978	1,976	1,989	1,982	–	–	–	–	–
SVK	Slovakia	1,622	1,572	1,754	1,805	1,769	1,816	–	–	–	–	–
SVN	Slovenia	1,619	1,515	1,687	1,680	1,697	1,710	–	–	–	–	–
ESP	Spain	1,643	1,577	1,694	1,706	1,724	1,753	1,763	1,936	–	–	–
SWE	Sweden	1,440	1,424	1,466	1,484	1,453	1,486	1,423	1,382	1,565	1,718	1,824
CHE	Switzerland	1,528	1,495	1,577	1,611	1,690	1,713	–	–	–	–	–
TUR	Turkey	1,732	–	1,811	1,877	1,936	1,937	1,866	1,957	2,086	–	–
GBR	United Kingdom	1,531	1,367	1,525	1,507	1,544	1,558	1,618	1,619	1,775	–	–
USA	United States	1,810	1,767	1,783	1,772	1,794	1,832	1,833	1,816	1,907	1,952	1,968

See also

• Gross national income
• List of countries by distribution of wealth
• List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita
• List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita
• List of countries by GDP (PPP)
• List of countries by Human Development Index
• List of countries by income equality
• National wealth
• Reduction of hours of work

References

1. Roser, Max (2013-03-04). "Working Hours". Our World in Data.
2. Giattino, Charlie; Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban; Roser, Max (2020-12-01). "Working Hours". Our World in Data.
3. OECD. "Average annual hours actually worked per worker". stats.oecd.org. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
4. "Who works the longest hours? - BBC News". BBC News. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
5. Stewart, Heather (8 December 2011). "Who works the longest hours in Europe?". the Guardian. Retrieved 2015-07-15.