How long people work varies enormously around the world, and the gap between the hardest-working and the most relaxed countries is far larger than most people expect.
Even more surprising is what all those extra hours actually produce.
TL;DR
- Mexico tops the OECD at about 2,207 hours a year, followed by Costa Rica at 2,171 hours, while Germany works the fewest hours at about 1,343 hours.
- By weekly hours, Colombians work the longest at about 47.6, while the Dutch work the shortest at about 29.5.
- Countries that work more hours tend to produce less per hour, a strong inverse relationship.
The working-hours figures here come from the OECD and ILO.
ALSO READ: Average Working Hours per Week Globally: Who Works the Longest
The hardest and easiest working countries
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Rank | Countries | Average Weekly Working Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | 1 | Bhutan | 54.68 |
| 2 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | 2 | Lesotho | 49.98 |
| 3 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | 3 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 49.00 |
| 4 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | 4 | Republic of the Congo | 48.86 |
| 5 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | 5 | Jordan | 48.49 |
| 6 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | 6 | United Arab Emirates | 48.28 |
| 7 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | 7 | Burkina Faso | 48.19 |
| 8 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | 8 | Liberia | 48.12 |
| 9 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | 9 | Pakistan | 47.63 |
| 10 | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | Monica Ebunoluwa | 30/03/2026 02:07 PM | 10 | Mongolia | 46.58 |
Bhutan is at the top globally. Most workers there put in over 54 hours a week, revealing an economy in which labor-intensive sectors are the backbone of employment.
Bhutan’s economy is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihoods for over 60% of the population.
Also, Lesotho’s high average hours show its reliance on agriculture and manual labor, where extended working hours are common due to a lack of automation and labor protections.
The countries at the top are developing nations, where many jobs are labor-intensive, social safety nets are weaker, and part-time work is not common. This means more time at work, often across multiple jobs.
ALSO READ: How People Spend Their Day: The World’s 24 Hours
Why more hours mean less output per hour
The most counterintuitive finding is that long hours do not equal high productivity.
Put all OECD economies on the same axes, and the longer a country works, the less it tends to get out of each hour, with every extra 100 hours a year corresponding to about $10 less output per hour.
Germany, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands combine short hours with high output, while Mexico, Colombia, and Costa Rica have the longest hours and the lowest.
Hours hit diminishing returns faster than most people assume, which is why working less can sometimes produce more.
ELI5
Countries that work longer hours usually produce less per hour because working more and more yields diminishing returns.
Sources
Databoks | Randal Olson | Time Out | ILOSTAT
