Data / Rankings / Average weekly hours worked / EU countries

EU countries by average weekly hours worked

Greece had the highest average weekly hours worked of 27 EU countries in 2020, at 40.1 hours per week. The Netherlands had the lowest, at 31 hours per week. The median was 36.9 hours per week. Source: International Labour Organization.

Highest40.1Greece
Lowest31Netherlands
Median36.927 EU countries

All EU countries, 2020

Greece: 40.1 hours per weekGreece40.1Bulgaria: 39.4 hours per weekBulgaria39.4Slovenia: 38.7 hours per weekSlovenia38.7Romania: 38.5 hours per weekRomania38.5Poland: 38.4 hours per weekPoland38.4Slovakia: 38.2 hours per weekSlovakia38.2Croatia: 38.1 hours per weekCroatia38.1Latvia: 37.9 hours per weekLatvia37.9Hungary: 37.9 hours per weekHungary37.9Malta: 37.8 hours per weekMalta37.8Czechia: 37.7 hours per weekCzechia37.7Lithuania: 37.7 hours per weekLithuania37.7Cyprus: 37.5 hours per weekCyprus37.5Portugal: 36.9 hours per weekPortugal36.9Estonia: 36.6 hours per weekEstonia36.6Luxembourg: 36.6 hours per weekLuxembourg36.6Spain: 36.3 hours per weekSpain36.3Ireland: 36 hours per weekIreland36France: 35.7 hours per weekFrance35.7Italy: 35.7 hours per weekItaly35.7Belgium: 35.6 hours per weekBelgium35.6Finland: 35.1 hours per weekFinland35.1Austria: 34.5 hours per weekAustria34.5Sweden: 34.2 hours per weekSweden34.2Germany: 33.9 hours per weekGermany33.9Denmark: 33.6 hours per weekDenmark33.6Netherlands: 31 hours per weekNetherlands31
hours per week. Source: ILOSTAT, Average weekly hours actually worked per employed person by sex, total, annual (DF_HOW_TEMP_SEX_NB). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2020
hours per week		Change on 2019
1Greece40.1-0.5%
2Bulgaria39.4-0.6%
3Slovenia38.7+1.2%
4Romania38.5-1.2%
5Poland38.4-0.9%
6Slovakia38.2-1.4%
7Croatia38.1-0.8%
8Latvia37.9-0.7%
9Hungary37.9-0.7%
10Malta37.8-2.7%
11Czechia37.7-2.5%
11Lithuania37.7-1%
13Cyprus37.5-0.3%
14Portugal36.9-2.2%
15Estonia36.6-2.2%
16Luxembourg36.6-2.8%
17Spain36.3-1.7%
18Ireland36-0.2%
19France35.7-1%
19Italy35.7-2.5%
21Belgium35.6-2.3%
22Finland35.1-0.3%
23Austria34.5-2.2%
24Sweden34.2-2.1%
25Germany33.9-2.4%
26Denmark33.6+0.6%
27Netherlands31-1.7%

Other periods

About this ranking

Average number of hours actually worked per week in the main job by employed people, full-time and part-time together, from labour force and household surveys compiled by the ILO (13th ICLS definitions). Hours actually worked include overtime and exclude paid leave.

Main job only, so people with second jobs work more than shown. Countries with many part-time workers show lower averages. The ILO's modelled estimates are not served. The ILO recalculates national survey data to its international definitions, so values can differ from the figures national offices publish, and it revises past years.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the EU countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT. Average weekly hours actually worked per employed person by sex, total, annual (DF_HOW_TEMP_SEX_NB). https://data.ilo.org/vis?df%5Bds%5D=ds-production&df%5Bid%5D=DF_HOW_TEMP_SEX_NB&df%5Bag%5D=ILO (Accessed on 2026-10-12). Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

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Questions

Which EU country has the highest average weekly hours worked?

Greece, with 40.1 hours per week in 2020, according to International Labour Organization.

Which EU country has the lowest average weekly hours worked?

The Netherlands, with 31 hours per week in 2020.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: International Labour Organization, Average weekly hours actually worked per employed person by sex, total, annual (DF_HOW_TEMP_SEX_NB). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Average weekly hours worked: other rankings

EU countries: more rankings