Greece boasts the longest average working week in the European Union, at 39.8 hours per week, ahead of Bulgaria (39 hours) and Poland (38.9) hours.
According to the Eurostat data, other countries to report a longer-than-average working week include Romania (38.8 hours), Latvia and Lithuania (both 38.3 hours) and Cyprus and Slovenia (both 38 hours).
In contrast, employees in the Netherlands had the shortest average working week, at 32.1 hours, followed by Denmark, Germany and Austria, all of which were on 33.9 hours.
Average working week in the EU
The average working week for individuals aged between 20 and 64 stood at 36.0 hours across the European Union in 2024, the data showed. This marks a slight decline on the 37.0 hour average recorded in 2014.
Notable differences also emerged across sectors, with workers in agriculture, forestry and fishing recording the longest average working week, at 41.2 hours.
Those in mining/quarrying and construction worked 38.8 hours and 38.7 hours, respectively, while the shortest average working weeks were found in household employment activities (26.7 hours), education (31.9 hours), and arts, entertainment and recreation (32.9 hours). Read more here.
Average Working Week by EU Member State (2024, hours)
| Country | Hours |
|---|---|
| Greece | 39.8 |
| Bulgaria | 39.0 |
| Poland | 38.9 |
| Romania | 38.8 |
| Latvia | 38.3 |
| Lithuania | 38.3 |
| Cyprus | 38.0 |
| Slovenia | 38.0 |
| Slovakia | 37.9 |
| Czechia | 37.8 |
| Croatia | 37.8 |
| Malta | 37.5 |
| Portugal | 37.5 |
| Hungary | 37.4 |
| Estonia | 36.5 |
| Spain | 36.4 |
| Italy | 36.1 |
| France | 35.8 |
| Luxembourg | 35.7 |
| Sweden | 35.7 |
| Ireland | 35.1 |
| Finland | 34.9 |
| Belgium | 34.5 |
| Denmark | 33.9 |
| Germany | 33.9 |
| Austria | 33.9 |
| Netherlands | 32.1 |
