Are Your Working Hours Normal?

Enter your weekly working hours and see how you compare with 30 countries.

40hours / week
10h45h80h
🌍

Where You Stand

Country Comparison

Source: OECD, International Labour Organization. Average actual hours worked per week.

Why These Differences?

🇳🇱 Why does the Netherlands work so few hours?

The Netherlands has the shortest average workweek in the developed world. Part-time work is normalized and legally protected — over a quarter of Dutch workers choose part-time. Add strong labor laws, high hourly productivity, and a culture that genuinely values free time.

🇲🇽 Why does Mexico work so many hours?

Mexico has some of the longest working hours in the OECD. A combination of low wages (requiring more hours to make ends meet), limited labor protections, and a cultural expectation of presenteeism drives the numbers up.

🇩🇪 Why does Germany work fewer hours but stay productive?

Germans are famously efficient. Shorter hours, strong unions, limited overtime culture, and a focus on deep work over long hours. Germany proves that fewer hours can mean higher output per hour — and a much better quality of life.

🇰🇷 Why did South Korea reduce its workweek?

South Korea was notorious for extreme working hours. In response to health crises and low birth rates, the government capped the workweek at 52 hours. The culture is slowly shifting, though many workers still put in long hours unofficially.

Try These Too

📱Screen Time ☕Coffee Consumption 🏖️Vacation Days 😴Sleep Hours

Working Hours Around the World

1. The Global Picture

The world works an average of about 40 hours per week, but this number conceals enormous variation. Workers in parts of Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America regularly exceed 48 hours, while Northern Europeans have pushed the average below 35. The 40-hour week — once a revolutionary labor achievement — is now the global midpoint, not the standard.

What counts as "working hours" also varies. Some countries measure only formal employment; others include informal work, commuting, or unpaid overtime. In Japan, the concept of "service overtime" (unpaid extra hours) means official statistics undercount actual time spent working.

2. The Short-Hours Champions

The Netherlands leads with the shortest workweek at about 29-30 hours on average. Denmark, Norway, and Germany follow at 33-35 hours. These countries share common traits: strong unions, high minimum wages, normalized part-time work, and cultures that treat personal time as non-negotiable.

Crucially, shorter hours have not hurt these economies. Germany is the world's third-largest exporter. The Netherlands has one of the highest standards of living on Earth. Denmark consistently ranks among the happiest countries. They have found a way to work less and live better.

3. The Long-Hours Cultures

At the other end, Mexico, Colombia, Turkey, and South Korea report averages above 43 hours. In parts of the Middle East and East Asia, 50-60 hour weeks are common. The drivers differ — in some countries it is economic necessity, in others cultural expectation.

Japan coined "karoshi" — death from overwork — as a recognized phenomenon. South Korea has struggled with similar issues. Both governments have taken legislative action to cap hours, but workplace culture often lags behind the law.

4. Remote Work and the New Normal

The shift to remote work has blurred the line between work and life. Studies show remote workers often put in more hours, not fewer, partly because the commute savings get absorbed by work and the boundaries between office and home dissolve.

The four-day workweek is gaining traction, with trials in the UK, Iceland, and Spain showing maintained or improved productivity with one fewer day. Whether this becomes the next global shift remains to be seen, but the conversation has moved from fringe to mainstream.

5. Productivity vs. Hours

The relationship between hours worked and economic output is not linear. After about 50 hours per week, productivity per hour drops sharply. Countries that work the longest hours (Mexico, Colombia) do not have the highest GDP per capita — countries that work the least (Norway, Denmark) often do.

This disconnect suggests that quality of work matters far more than quantity. Focus, rest, and autonomy drive output. The most productive workers in the world tend to work intensely for shorter periods rather than grinding through endless hours.

Working Hours by Country

RankCountryAvg. Hours/WeekSource
1🇲🇽 Mexico48.5hOECD, International Labour Organization
2🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia46.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
3🇦🇪 UAE45.5hOECD, International Labour Organization
4🇪🇬 Egypt45.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
5🇮🇳 India44.5hOECD, International Labour Organization
6🇹🇷 Turkey44.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
7🇳🇬 Nigeria43.5hOECD, International Labour Organization
8🇵🇭 Philippines43.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
9🇰🇷 South Korea42.5hOECD, International Labour Organization
10🇮🇩 Indonesia42.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
11🇨🇳 China42.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
12🇦🇷 Argentina41.5hOECD, International Labour Organization
13🇷🇺 Russia41.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
14🇸🇬 Singapore40.5hOECD, International Labour Organization
15🇺🇸 United States40.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
16🇵🇱 Poland39.5hOECD, International Labour Organization
17🇯🇵 Japan39.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
18🇧🇷 Brazil39.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
19🇨🇦 Canada38.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
20🇮🇹 Italy37.5hOECD, International Labour Organization
21🇪🇸 Spain37.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
22🇵🇹 Portugal37.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
23🇬🇧 United Kingdom36.5hOECD, International Labour Organization
24🇦🇺 Australia36.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
25🇫🇷 France35.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
26🇸🇪 Sweden35.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
27🇫🇮 Finland34.5hOECD, International Labour Organization
28🇳🇴 Norway33.5hOECD, International Labour Organization
29🇩🇰 Denmark33.0hOECD, International Labour Organization
30🇳🇱 Netherlands29.5hOECD, International Labour Organization

Source: OECD, International Labour Organization. Average actual hours worked per week.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hours per week is normal to work?
The global average is about 40 hours per week. Northern European countries average 30-35 hours, while parts of Asia and Latin America exceed 45. What is "normal" depends heavily on your country, industry, and employment type.
Which country works the most hours?
Mexico, Colombia, and Turkey consistently report the longest average work weeks among OECD countries, exceeding 43-45 hours. When including non-OECD nations, parts of South and East Asia report even higher numbers.
Which country works the fewest hours?
The Netherlands has the shortest average workweek at about 29-30 hours, thanks to widespread part-time work and strong labor protections. Denmark, Norway, and Germany also rank very low at 33-35 hours.
Does working longer hours mean more productivity?
No. Research consistently shows that productivity per hour drops sharply after 50 hours per week. Countries with shorter hours (Germany, Netherlands) often have higher GDP per capita than countries with longer hours. Burnout and fatigue reduce both quality and quantity of output.
Is the 4-day workweek realistic?
Trials in the UK, Iceland, Spain, and several companies worldwide have shown promising results — maintained or improved productivity with better employee well-being. It is not yet mainstream, but it is moving from experimental to practical faster than many expected.
How has remote work affected working hours?
Studies show remote workers often work slightly more hours than office workers, not fewer. The flexibility is real, but so is the boundary erosion. Without a commute or clear office hours, work often bleeds into personal time.
What is the legal maximum workweek?
It varies by country. The EU caps the average at 48 hours (with opt-out provisions). Japan limits overtime. South Korea caps at 52 hours. The US has no maximum — the 40-hour threshold only triggers overtime pay for hourly workers.
Why do Americans work so much?
A combination of factors: no mandated vacation, limited labor protections, employer-tied healthcare (which discourages job mobility), a cultural narrative that equates hard work with virtue, and high living costs in major cities that require long hours to afford.