Data / Rankings / Real labour productivity per hour worked, annual growth / EU countries

EU countries by real labour productivity per hour worked, annual growth

Romania had the highest real labour productivity per hour worked, annual growth of 27 EU countries in 2023, at 4.6%. Estonia had the lowest, at -6.2%. The median was -0.3% and the figure for the European Union (27) was -0.8%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

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Highest4.6Romania
Lowest-6.2Estonia
Median-0.327 EU countries
European Union (27)-0.8History

Map of EU countries, 2023

Austria: -1.4 %Belgium: 0.7 %Bulgaria: -1.8 %Cyprus: 3.1 %Czechia: -1.7 %Germany: -1.2 %Denmark: 1 %Estonia: -6.2 %Spain: -0.3 %Finland: -1.4 %France: 0.4 %Greece: -0.3 %Croatia: 1.3 %Hungary: -0.2 %Ireland: -4.9 %Italy: -2.1 %Lithuania: 0.5 %Luxembourg: -1.5 %Latvia: -1 %Malta: -0.1 %Netherlands: -1.8 %Poland: 0.8 %Portugal: -1.7 %Romania: 4.6 %Sweden: -1.2 %Slovenia: 2.6 %Slovakia: 1.3 %
  • Under -1.7
  • -1.7 to -1.2
  • -1.2 to 0
  • 0 to 0.8
  • 0.8 to 1.3
  • 1.3 and over
%, 2023. Red areas are below zero and blue areas above it. Source: Eurostat, Labour productivity and unit labour costs, real labour productivity per hour worked, percentage change on previous period (nama_10_lp_ulc). Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

All EU countries, 2023

Romania: 4.6 %Romania4.6Cyprus: 3.1 %Cyprus3.1Slovenia: 2.6 %Slovenia2.6Croatia: 1.3 %Croatia1.3Slovakia: 1.3 %Slovakia1.3Denmark: 1 %Denmark1Poland: 0.8 %Poland0.8Belgium: 0.7 %Belgium0.7Lithuania: 0.5 %Lithuania0.5France: 0.4 %France0.4Malta: -0.1 %Malta-0.1Hungary: -0.2 %Hungary-0.2Greece: -0.3 %Greece-0.3Spain: -0.3 %Spain-0.3Latvia: -1 %Latvia-1Germany: -1.2 %Germany-1.2Sweden: -1.2 %Sweden-1.2Austria: -1.4 %Austria-1.4Finland: -1.4 %Finland-1.4Luxembourg: -1.5 %Luxembourg-1.5Czechia: -1.7 %Czechia-1.7Portugal: -1.7 %Portugal-1.7Bulgaria: -1.8 %Bulgaria-1.8Netherlands: -1.8 %Netherlands-1.8Italy: -2.1 %Italy-2.1Ireland: -4.9 %Ireland-4.9Estonia: -6.2 %Estonia-6.2Romania: 4.6 %Romania4.6Cyprus: 3.1 %Cyprus3.1Slovenia: 2.6 %Slovenia2.6Croatia: 1.3 %Croatia1.3Slovakia: 1.3 %Slovakia1.3Denmark: 1 %Denmark1Poland: 0.8 %Poland0.8Belgium: 0.7 %Belgium0.7Lithuania: 0.5 %Lithuania0.5France: 0.4 %France0.4Malta: -0.1 %Malta-0.1Hungary: -0.2 %Hungary-0.2Greece: -0.3 %Greece-0.3Spain: -0.3 %Spain-0.3Latvia: -1 %Latvia-1Germany: -1.2 %Germany-1.2Sweden: -1.2 %Sweden-1.2Austria: -1.4 %Austria-1.4Finland: -1.4 %Finland-1.4Luxembourg: -1.5 %Luxembourg-1.5Czechia: -1.7 %Czechia-1.7Portugal: -1.7 %Portugal-1.7Bulgaria: -1.8 %Bulgaria-1.8Netherlands: -1.8 %Netherlands-1.8Italy: -2.1 %Italy-2.1Ireland: -4.9 %Ireland-4.9Estonia: -6.2 %Estonia-6.2
%. Source: Eurostat, Labour productivity and unit labour costs, real labour productivity per hour worked, percentage change on previous period (nama_10_lp_ulc). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Romania4.6-0.8 pts
2Cyprus3.1-0.5 pts
3Slovenia2.6+3.8 pts
4Croatia1.3-4.5 pts
4Slovakia1.3+4.2 pts
6Denmark1+4.2 pts
7Poland0.8-3.8 pts
8Belgium0.7+1.2 pts
9Lithuania0.5+4.4 pts
10France0.4+1.9 pts
11Malta-0.1+1.2 pts
12Hungary-0.2-1.6 pts
13Greece Provisional-0.3-0.2 pts
13Spain-0.3-1.5 pts
15Latvia-1-0.5 pts
16Germany Provisional-1.2-1.3 pts
16Sweden-1.2+0.6 pts
18Austria-1.4-4.2 pts
18Finland-1.4+0.5 pts
20Luxembourg-1.5+2.5 pts
21Czechia-1.7-0.2 pts
21Portugal-1.7-2.5 pts
23Bulgaria-1.8-4.9 pts
23Netherlands-1.8-2.9 pts
25Italy-2.1-2.7 pts
26Ireland-4.9-4.1 pts
27Estonia-6.2-3.9 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Percentage change from the previous year in real labour productivity per hour worked: gross domestic product in chain-linked volumes divided by total hours worked by all employed people.

From the national accounts (ESA 2010). Ireland's GDP, and with it its productivity, is inflated and made volatile by the activities of multinational companies, notably the move of intellectual property to Ireland in 2015.

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

Eurostat. Labour productivity and unit labour costs, real labour productivity per hour worked, percentage change on previous period (nama_10_lp_ulc). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nama_10_lp_ulc/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Eurostat, European Commission. (2026). Labour productivity and unit labour costs, real labour productivity per hour worked, percentage change on previous period (nama_10_lp_ulc) (EU countries by real labour productivity per hour worked, annual growth, 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nama_10_lp_ulc/default/table

MLA 9

Labour productivity and unit labour costs, real labour productivity per hour worked, percentage change on previous period (nama_10_lp_ulc), EU countries by real labour productivity per hour worked, annual growth, 2023. Eurostat, European Commission, 16 Oct. 2026, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nama_10_lp_ulc/default/table. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/real-labour-productivity-per-hour-growth/eu-countries?period=2023. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Eurostat, European Commission. 2026. Labour productivity and unit labour costs, real labour productivity per hour worked, percentage change on previous period (nama_10_lp_ulc). EU countries by real labour productivity per hour worked, annual growth, 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nama_10_lp_ulc/default/table. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/real-labour-productivity-per-hour-growth/eu-countries?period=2023.

Harvard

Eurostat, European Commission (2026) Labour productivity and unit labour costs, real labour productivity per hour worked, percentage change on previous period (nama_10_lp_ulc), EU countries by real labour productivity per hour worked, annual growth, 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nama_10_lp_ulc/default/table, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/real-labour-productivity-per-hour-growth/eu-countries?period=2023 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{eurostat_eu_countries_by_real_2023,
  author = {{Eurostat, European Commission}},
  title = {{Labour productivity and unit labour costs, real labour productivity per hour worked, percentage change on previous period (nama\_10\_lp\_ulc): EU countries by real labour productivity per hour worked, annual growth, 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nama_10_lp_ulc/default/table},
  urldate = {2026-10-18},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/real-labour-productivity-per-hour-growth/eu-countries?period=2023. Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Labour productivity and unit labour costs, real labour productivity per hour worked, percentage change on previous period (nama\_10\_lp\_ulc). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nama\_10\_lp\_ulc/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Eurostat, European Commission
TI  - Labour productivity and unit labour costs, real labour productivity per hour worked, percentage change on previous period (nama_10_lp_ulc): EU countries by real labour productivity per hour worked, annual growth, 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/16
PB  - Eurostat, European Commission
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nama_10_lp_ulc/default/table
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/real-labour-productivity-per-hour-growth/eu-countries?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/real-labour-productivity-per-hour-growth/eu-countries?period=2023.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Labour productivity and unit labour costs, real labour productivity per hour worked, percentage change on previous period (nama_10_lp_ulc). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nama_10_lp_ulc/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
ER  -
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Questions

Which EU country has the highest real labour productivity per hour worked, annual growth?

Romania, with 4.6% in 2023, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest real labour productivity per hour worked, annual growth?

Estonia, with -6.2% in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Labour productivity and unit labour costs, real labour productivity per hour worked, percentage change on previous period (nama_10_lp_ulc). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

EU countries: more rankings