Work, work, work. It seems that today our jobs take up most of our time. But that really all depends on where you live.
The International Labor Organization has determined how many hours people work, on average, around the world.
The ILO notes that “workers must have a minimum number of working hours” in order to earn enough money to pay for their needs and for their families.
The following are countries where people work fewer hours on average. For comparison, the United States averages 38 hours per week.
15. Norway
The average number of hours a person working in this region works: 33.7 per week
People employed in this region who work 49 hours or more per week: 6%
As of April 2024, Norway has an estimated gross domestic product of $527 billion. Its annual growth is around 1.5%. Norway’s GDP decreased in 2018 and 2019, but increased in 2020 and 2021.
Data for 2022 and 2023 compiled by Worldometer ranks Norway as the 24th largest GDP in the world.
14. In Austria
The average number of hours a person working in this region works: 33.3 per week
People employed in this region who work 49 hours or more per week: 7%
This landlocked European nation has not experienced significant growth, but it is not declining either. According to data from Worldometer, Austria has the 32nd largest GDP.
Austria’s embassy in Washington says its most important industries are food and luxury goods, mechanical engineering, steelmaking, chemicals and automobile manufacturing.
12. Tie
The average number of hours a person working in this region works: 33 per week
People employed in this region who work 49 hours or more per week: 9%
GDP data for Reunion is very limited. CountryReports puts the unemployment rate in Reunion at around 31%.
The island in the Indian Ocean east of Africa is reportedly trying to put more emphasis on tourism to curb unemployment, as its main industries are agriculture (mainly sugarcane) and services.
12. New Zealand (tie)
The average number of hours a person working in this region works: 33 per week
People employed in this region who work 49 hours or more per week: 15%
As of April 2024, the International Monetary Fund says New Zealand’s GDP will be around $257 billion, with an annual growth rate of 1%. In comparison, the annual growth rate of the US GDP is estimated at 2.7% with a current GDP of over 28 trillion.
The basis of its economy is the export of agricultural goods such as dairy products, meat, fruits and vegetables, forest products and wine.
11. Australia
The average number of hours a person working in this region works: 32.3 per week
People employed in this region who work 49 hours or more per week: 12%
The IMF reports that Australia’s GDP sits at around $1.79 trillion, with an annual growth rate of 1.5%. Its largest sectors, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia, are mining (14.3%) and healthcare and education (12.8%).
The average household equity as a share of income is 911% and the household debt as a share of income is 185%.
10. Canada
The average number of hours a person working in this region works: 32.1 per week
People employed in this region who work 49 hours or more per week: 9%
Canada has an annual GDP growth rate of 1.2%, according to the IMF, with a current GDP of approximately $2.24 trillion.
Canada’s economy is one of the largest in the world and is highly dependent on trade – its main partners are the US, China and the UK. Imports and exports of goods and services, in particular, comprise about a third of its GDP.
9. Ethiopia
The average number of hours a person working in this region works: 31.9 per week
People employed in this region who work 49 hours or more per week: 15%
Ethiopia is one of the most populous countries in Africa, after Nigeria, and has the fastest growing economy in the region. The annual GDP growth rate is estimated at 6.2%, according to the IMF. Its GDP sits at around $205 billion.
However, it is still one of the poorest countries in the world, but hopes to reach the low to middle income level by 2025.
8. Wallis and Futuna Islands
The average number of hours a person working in this region works: 31.8 per week
People employed in this region who work 49 hours or more per week: 6%
The IMF does not have data available for the islands of Wallis and Futuna, but according to the Pacific Community Statistics for Development Division, GDP per capita is $11,674.
The islands have a population of about 11,231, which is a decreasing number.
7. Iraq
The average number of hours a person working in this region works: 31.7 per week
People employed in this region who work 49 hours or more per week: 5%
Iraq has an average annual GDP growth rate of 1.4% and an estimated GDP of $265 billion.
Its economy is one of the most oil-dependent in the world – so much so that oil revenues make up more than 85% of the government’s budget, 99% of exports and 42% of its GDP.
6. In the Netherlands
The average number of hours a person working in this region works: 31.6 per week
People employed in this region who work 49 hours or more per week: 6%
The annual GDP growth rate of the Netherlands is at the low end, at 0.6%. However, it has the 17th largest GDP in the world.
According to the International Trade Administration, the Netherlands has a competitive labor market, a strong financial network and strong international trade links.
5. Somalia
The average number of hours a working person in this country works: 31.4 per week
Share of employees in this country who work 49 hours or more per week: 10%
The GDP of this African country in the Indian Ocean is estimated at $12 billion, and its GDP growth rate is 3.7%. Most jobs are in the service sector, and about a quarter of the workforce is employed in the agricultural sector.
3. Rwanda (tie)
The average number of hours a working person in this country works: 30.4 per week
Share of employees in this country who work 49 hours or more per week: 12%
As of April 2024, Rwanda’s GDP is $13.7 billion, with an annual growth rate of 6.9%.
It plans to become a middle-income country by 2035 and a high-income country by 2050, according to the World Bank, and the country is turning to strategies under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The industrial sector has contributed significantly to the country’s economic growth so far.
3. Micronesia (tie)
The average number of hours a working person in this country works: 30.4 per week
Share of employees in this country who work 49 hours or more per week: 2%
Commercial fishing is the main economic sector in the Federated States of Micronesia, which is made up of several hundred islands in the western Pacific Ocean. More than 70% of employees are in the public sector.
2. Kiribati
The average number of hours a working person in this country works: 27.3 per week
Share of employees in this country who work 49 hours or more per week: 10%
The nation, which includes 33 islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, had a gross domestic product of $1,991 (in US dollars) in 2023.
1. Vanuatu
The average number of hours a working person in this country works: 24.7 per week
Share of employees in this country who work 49 hours or more per week: 4%
A South Pacific Ocean country made up of nearly 80 islands, Vanuata has a population of over 300,000 and an area roughly the size of Connecticut. According to the CIA, its economy is heavily dependent on tourism and subsistence farming.
In 2023, Vanuatu experienced a major breakthrough in its economy, lifestyle and perhaps its very existence.
The country led the effort to secure a landmark United Nations ruling asking the International Court of Justice to extend the obligations of the nations of the world to curb global warming and protect communities from climate disasters.
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