Special Report

The Length of a Typical Work Week Around the World

FatCamera / Getty Images

The amount of time workers spend at the office every week depends a great deal on the industry in which they work. But industry is just one factor determining how long people work; another is the country where they live. In some more affluent nations around the world, the typical work week for full time employees is well under 40 hours, but it is close to 50 hours in others.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on the typical number of hours worked per week among full-time employees in 37 mostly affluent nations from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. We listed these countries from the shortest typical work week to the longest. 

As might be expected, workplace laws and conventions in the countries with shorter typical work weeks are often more favorable towards workers than laws in countries with longer work weeks. Countries with shorter work weeks also tend to have better overtime compensation and regulations and more favorable parental leave laws. A number of the countries on this list with shorter work weeks also happen to have substantial government-mandated vacation time. These are the countries with the most vacation time

While some find their work lives fulfilling, countries with shorter work weeks tend to have residents with higher life satisfaction. Leisure time appears to be an important contributing factor to life satisfaction — the countries with longer typical work weeks had lower life satisfaction scores based on the OECD’s annual Life Satisfaction Survey.

Many of the countries with the longest hours worked tend to have especially low minimum wages. Of the five countries with the longest typical work week, three have a minimum wage of less than $3.50. These are the wealthy countries you don’t want to work abroad in.

Click here to see how long the average work week is around the world
Click here to read our methodology

scanrail / Getty Images

1. Denmark
> Average work week (full-time employees): 37.2 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 2.3%
> Workforce that is part-time: 20.4%
> Unemployment rate: 4.9%
> Avg. annual wages: $55,253

[in-text-ad]

Olena_Znak / Getty Images

2. Netherlands
> Average work week (full-time employees): 37.3 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 0.4%
> Workforce that is part-time: 38.7%
> Unemployment rate: 3.3%
> Avg. annual wages: $54,262

cookelma / Getty Images

3. Norway
> Average work week (full-time employees): 38.0 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 2.9%
> Workforce that is part-time: 19.1%
> Unemployment rate: 3.7%
> Avg. annual wages: $50,956

orpheus26 / Getty Images

4. Belgium
> Average work week (full-time employees): 38.8 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 4.8%
> Workforce that is part-time: 17.6%
> Unemployment rate: 5.2%
> Avg. annual wages: $52,080

[in-text-ad-2]

manjik / Getty Images

5. France
> Average work week (full-time employees): 38.9 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 7.7%
> Workforce that is part-time: 14.0%
> Unemployment rate: 8.5%
> Avg. annual wages: $44,510

scanrail / Getty Images

6. Sweden
> Average work week (full-time employees): 39.0 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 1.1%
> Workforce that is part-time: 13.1%
> Unemployment rate: 6.9%
> Avg. annual wages: $44,196

[in-text-ad]

scanrail / Getty Images

7. Finland
> Average work week (full-time employees): 39.3 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 3.8%
> Workforce that is part-time: 12.7%
> Unemployment rate: 6.8%
> Avg. annual wages: $44,111

Eva-Katalin / Getty Images

8. Italy
> Average work week (full-time employees): 39.5 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 4.1%
> Workforce that is part-time: 19.3%
> Unemployment rate: 10.0%
> Avg. annual wages: $37,752

bluejayphoto / Getty Images

9. Germany
> Average work week (full-time employees): 39.5 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 4.3%
> Workforce that is part-time: 22.3%
> Unemployment rate: 3.1%
> Avg. annual wages: $49,813

[in-text-ad-2]

Gatsi / Getty Images

10. Spain
> Average work week (full-time employees): 39.6 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 4.0%
> Workforce that is part-time: 14.1%
> Unemployment rate: 14.2%
> Avg. annual wages: $38,761

benstevens / Getty Images

11. Ireland
> Average work week (full-time employees): 39.7 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 5.3%
> Workforce that is part-time: 21.5%
> Unemployment rate: 5.0%
> Avg. annual wages: $47,952

[in-text-ad]

tibu / Getty Images

12. Luxembourg
> Average work week (full-time employees): 40.0 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 3.8%
> Workforce that is part-time: 12.6%
> Unemployment rate: 5.8%
> Avg. annual wages: $65,449

Roman Babakin / Getty Images

13. Lithuania
> Average work week (full-time employees): 40.1 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 0.5%
> Workforce that is part-time: 6.7%
> Unemployment rate: 6.2%
> Avg. annual wages: $26,429

RudyBalasko / Getty Images

14. Austria
> Average work week (full-time employees): 40.2 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 6.7%
> Workforce that is part-time: 20.5%
> Unemployment rate: 4.4%
> Avg. annual wages: $50,868

[in-text-ad-2]

KavalenkavaVolha / Getty Images

15. Estonia
> Average work week (full-time employees): 40.2 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 2.4%
> Workforce that is part-time: 9.1%
> Unemployment rate: 4.1%
> Avg. annual wages: $26,898

Marcus Lindstrom / Getty Images

16. Latvia
> Average work week (full-time employees): 40.2 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 1.3%
> Workforce that is part-time: 5.2%
> Unemployment rate: 6.1%
> Avg. annual wages: $25,586

[in-text-ad]

TomasSereda / Getty Images

17. Slovak Republic
> Average work week (full-time employees): 40.3 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 4.1%
> Workforce that is part-time: 5.2%
> Unemployment rate: 5.8%
> Avg. annual wages: $25,357

depenbusch / Flickr

18. Hungary
> Average work week (full-time employees): 40.3 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 3.0%
> Workforce that is part-time: 3.6%
> Unemployment rate: 3.4%
> Avg. annual wages: $24,455

DaLiu / Getty Images

19. Czech Republic
> Average work week (full-time employees): 40.4 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 5.7%
> Workforce that is part-time: 4.8%
> Unemployment rate: 2.1%
> Avg. annual wages: $26,962

[in-text-ad-2]

AleksandarGeorgiev / Getty Images

20. Switzerland
> Average work week (full-time employees): 40.5 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 0.4%
> Workforce that is part-time: 25.7%
> Unemployment rate: 4.5%
> Avg. annual wages: $64,109

kasto80 / Getty Images

21. Slovenia
> Average work week (full-time employees): 40.6 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 4.4%
> Workforce that is part-time: 7.3%
> Unemployment rate: 4.9%
> Avg. annual wages: $37,322

[in-text-ad]

Sean Pavone / Getty Images

22. Portugal
> Average work week (full-time employees): 40.7 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 8.3%
> Workforce that is part-time: 5.3%
> Unemployment rate: 6.3%
> Avg. annual wages: $25,487

Xantana / Getty Images

23. Poland
> Average work week (full-time employees): 40.9 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 6.0%
> Workforce that is part-time: 5.4%
> Unemployment rate: 3.2%
> Avg. annual wages: $29,109

RobertBreitpaul / Getty Images

24. Greece
> Average work week (full-time employees): 41.5 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 6.4%
> Workforce that is part-time: 12.5%
> Unemployment rate: 17.1%
> Avg. annual wages: $26,671

[in-text-ad-2]

frankpeters / iStock

25. United States
> Average work week (full-time employees): 41.5 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 11.1%
> Workforce that is part-time: 12.7%
> Unemployment rate: 3.5%
> Avg. annual wages: $63,093

Leonid Andronov / iStock

26. United Kingdom
> Average work week (full-time employees): 41.8 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 12.2%
> Workforce that is part-time: 22.2%
> Unemployment rate: 3.8%
> Avg. annual wages: $44,770

[in-text-ad]

africanpix / Getty Images

27. Australia
> Average work week (full-time employees): 41.8 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 13.0%
> Workforce that is part-time: 24.7%
> Unemployment rate: 5.2%
> Avg. annual wages: $53,349

Yuri de Mesquita Bar / Getty Images

28. Brazil
> Average work week (full-time employees): 42.5 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 7.1%
> Workforce that is part-time: 12.2%
> Unemployment rate: N/A
> Avg. annual wages: N/A

stefaniedesign / iStock

29. New Zealand
> Average work week (full-time employees): 42.7 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 15.1%
> Workforce that is part-time: 19.0%
> Unemployment rate: 4.2%
> Avg. annual wages: $42,325

[in-text-ad-2]

Boyloso / Getty Images

30. Iceland
> Average work week (full-time employees): 43.3 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 15.1%
> Workforce that is part-time: 17.3%
> Unemployment rate: 4.2%
> Avg. annual wages: $66,504

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

31. Israel
> Average work week (full-time employees): 44.4 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 15.5%
> Workforce that is part-time: 14.8%
> Unemployment rate: 3.7%
> Avg. annual wages: $37,655

[in-text-ad]

Ben1183 / Getty Images

32. South Africa
> Average work week (full-time employees): 45.0 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 18.1%
> Workforce that is part-time: 7.8%
> Unemployment rate: 28.8%
> Avg. annual wages: N/A

tifonimages / Getty Images

33. Chile
> Average work week (full-time employees): 45.7 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 9.7%
> Workforce that is part-time: 10.3%
> Unemployment rate: 6.9%
> Avg. annual wages: $27,125

Seqoya / Getty Images

34. Turkey
> Average work week (full-time employees): 48.4 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 32.6%
> Workforce that is part-time: 5.0%
> Unemployment rate: 14.2%
> Avg. annual wages: N/A

[in-text-ad-2]

ferrantraite / Getty Images

35. Mexico
> Average work week (full-time employees): 48.5 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 28.7%
> Workforce that is part-time: 11.3%
> Unemployment rate: 3.6%
> Avg. annual wages: $16,298

Wikipedro / Wikimedia Commons

36. Costa Rica
> Average work week (full-time employees): 48.6 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: N/A
> Workforce that is part-time: 12.6%
> Unemployment rate: N/A
> Avg. annual wages: N/A

[in-text-ad]

garytog / Getty Images

37. Colombia
> Average work week (full-time employees): 49.8 hours
> Employees who worked over 50 hours/week: 26.6%
> Workforce that is part-time: 6.5%
> Unemployment rate: 10.7%
> Avg. annual wages: N/A

Methodology

To determine how long the average workweek is around the world, 24/7 Wall St. analyzed data on the average hours usually worked among dependent employees in 2018 from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Data on the percentage of dependent employees who work part-time — less than 30 hours a week — also came from the OECD and is for 2018. Additional data listed is all from the OECD and is for the most recent period available. All figures are annual except for unemployment figures, which are quarterly. All data on employee hours and part-time work are for dependent employees, meaning it does not include self-employed workers.

Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)

Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.

Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.

Here’s how it works:
1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz
2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles.
3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future

Get started right here.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.