15 Hardest Working Countries in the World Ranked by Average Working Hours

While some of the most successful and happiest countries in the world like Sweden or Denmark have shorter working day than the most others, let’s see those hardest working countries in the world ranked by average working hours.

Country’s economic power does not need to reflect shortening working hours necessarily, as it is becoming a global trend now. So, I guess we should first start from average hours worked per week for full-time jobs. That depends, firstly on the type of job and the employers, and also varies between the countries. In Denmark, for example, the average week consists of 33 working hours, making it one of the most flexible countries in when it comes to working time organization. But, in any case, working week can take from 30 up to 37.5 hours on average nowadays.

On the contrary to the hardest working countries ranked by average working hours, some least hard working countries seem to be more productive than others. The most productive country, with around 1,566 annual working hours and $93.4 GDP per worked hour is Luxemburg, comparing to Mexico, for example, with only $20 GDP per worked hour. And, on that issue, Mexico is among the top hardest working countries in the world, as you will see further down on our list. And although being among the top hard working countries, Mexico also holds the place on our list of laziest countries in the world that we compiled a while ago. So, looking at the hardest working countries 2016 from the angle of annual GDP compared to working hours, the list here would be somehow different, as we have shown in the example of Luxembourg. And on the issue of GDP, you can check out the article on richest countries in the world by 2017 GDP. What about countries like India? As you will see more information on average working hours in India further down on our list, meaning it is among the top hardest working countries in the world by average working hours, India is doing well with the economic growth. According to CLI (Composite Leading Indicators), India is on a slow but steady growth, unlike Brazil and Russia for example.

Japan also stands for a country of hard workers, but according to average working hours, that does not seem to be the case compared to other hardest working countries in the world by this criterion. But nevertheless, there are more interesting things to learn about this country, like 50 crazy facts about Japan you won’t believe for example. Where does the USA stand on the working issue and how many hours does the average American work a year? According to the United States Department of Labor, people average work 7.8 hours a day, which is around 1,796 working days a year, and around the same as Japan (with 1,785 working days). Since we are talking about average work hours per day in the US, you might as well find out how 8-hour workday changed how Americans work.

Our research has led us to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD.Stat), where we have taken latest data on hardest working countries ranked by average working hours on an annual basis for 2016. But since the data they collect does not cover some Asian and African countries, we have searched for information on those countries individually from various sources, like The Times of India, The Guardian, and Focus Taiwan for example. Then we have ranked our list on the annual rather than the average hours worked per week by country.

So, the hardest working countries in the world ranked by average working hours are as follows:

15. Israel

Average working hours annually: 1,889

Israel is a country with more average working hours than the western countries, but that fact doesn’t reflect well on the workers’ productivity. Israel has one among the lowest GDP per working hour, somewhere in the rank of Greece and Hungary.

14. Latvia

Average working hours annually: 1,910

Interesting fact about Latvia, next on our list of hardest working countries in the world ranked by average working hours, is that women work 4.5 hours more than women in the rest of EU, while men work more or less the same amount of time. Average working hours in Latvia are 8 hours a day, and employees usually work 5 days a week. That makes around 40 working hours per week which puts Latvia on the third place of hardest working countries in Europe by average working hours.

13. Poland

Average working hours annually: 1,928

Working more than 6 hours a day in Poland, you will have 15 min break each day and no lunch break. But since 2002 employees can take up to 60 mins lunch break which is not paid. But nevertheless, the unemployment rate in Poland is declining steadily, from around 20% in 2003 to 7% in August this year.

12. Russia

Average working hours annually: 1,974

Even today Russia is among top hardest working countries in the world ranked by average working hours, but compared to the working hours throughout the 20^th-century figures nowadays are the lowest for this country. Anyhow, Russian workers still work about 200 hours more than average American workers for example.

11. Chile

Average working hours annually: 1,974

It seems that among hardest working employees in Chile are the teachers, who work more than 2,000 hours annually, which is about 500 more than the average working hours for teachers. Average working hours in Chile are decreasing at a slow pace, but still many people work part-time and overtime jobs.

10. China

Average working hours annually: 2,000

Since China is one of the largest economies in the world, how does that reflect on working hours of its citizens? Of course, it depends and varies drastically depending on the job, because we all know China is the most populated country in the world, so the differences are even more pronounced here. But, taken on average, Chinese worker spends between 2,000 and 2,200 hours on work annually.

9. Greece

Average working hours annually: 2,035

Greek seems to be the hardest working country in Europe according to average working hours. Paradoxically, some companies were shortening working dime due to the economic crisis Greece was at, so part time jobs have become a more common thing.

8. Republic of Korea

Average working hours annually: 2,069

Even though South Korea is among top hardest working countries in the world ranked by average working hours, according to The Korea Herald, it has low labor productivity compared to the number of working hours. Since 2000 Korea seemed to have begun to shorten the working time; however the average working time remained high after 2011.

7. Taiwan

Average working hours annually: 2,104

Average working hours in Asia are in general longer than those in America and Europe. Considering Taiwan by 2015 for example, it was the fourth hardest working country according to average working hours. Since then, working hours and overtime labor had been slowly reduced by around 3%.

6. India

Average working hours annually: 2,106

What makes India one of the hardest working countries in the world ranked by average working hours is a fact that Indian millennial work day of 52 hours weekly. Even though that is the case, a survey has shown that many Indian workers spend around 30% of their working time on social media, which does not reflect good on their work because it results in approximately 13% loss of productivity.

5. Costa Rica

Average working hours annually: 2,212

Although the average working day in Costa Rica is 8 hours, it is not unusual for workers to work for 9 hours, which is regulated by law. During the working time, one lunch break and two small coffee breaks are usually provided to the worker. Even being among the hardest working countries by working hours, Costa Rica is also one of the happiest countries in the world.

4. Brazil

Average working hours annually: 2,292

Average office working time in Brazil is from 8 am to 6 pm. Might sound a lot, but a break time for lunch which sometimes takes up to 2 hours.  And apart from being among hardest working countries in the world ranked by average working hours, Brazilian employers get 13^th salary around Christmas time, as it was instituted by law in 1965.

3. Mexico

Average working hours annually: 2,255

Since the 1990s South American countries like Brazil or Argentina have seen a slight decrease in working hours, things have gone the other way in Mexico. Although we often see how Mexico is the one of the hardest working countries in the world ranked by average working hours, it is not quite the case as we see here.

2. Singapore

Average working hours annually: 2,371

Singapore has long held the position of the longest average working hours in the world. One of the bizarre things about Singapore working time and jobs is that it still happens that people die on their working places (most of them being elderly). Though of course, average working time depends on the job there are still those earning minimum wages working overtime. Since the government has realized overworking is posing a problem, it has encouraged some companies to give employees to work from their homes on some days. A small step, but a humane one.

1. Hong Kong

Average working hours annually: 2,605

Not only Hong Kong is at the top of hardest working countries in the world ranked by average working hours, but the employed there also have fewer holidays. Apart from working hours being 9am – 6 pm and longer, many workers stay longer and also have the half working Saturday. But, some recent accidents, like bus crushes that have ended up with three deaths and many injured, have happened right because of the overworking of public transportation drivers who work up to 12 hours a day!