With work-life balance becoming a key priority for workers, the question of whether you’re working too much is becoming more prominent in conversations. The answer depends on where you live, as different countries have varying philosophies surrounding work. The average working hours across the globe have stayed relatively constant over the past 50 years, however, variations between countries continue to fluctuate. Take a look at the difference in work culture globally.
Africa takes four of the top ten countries with the longest workweek in the world (in hours worked) however, Bhutan has the highest number of average hours worked per week with 54.4 hours. China is also well-known for their demanding work schedule, particularly, the “996” expectation which articulates they are to work from 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week (72 hours a week). Tech and internet companies are particularly guilty of promoting this work culture, raising concerns about labour law violations and work-life balance. The Chinese government has taken steps to instil more work-life balance, promoting sports and fitness, as employees feel pressure to mirror the high work culture of other countries, to drive economic growth.
Comparatively, countries like the Netherlands, Denmark and Vanuatu have some of the lowest averages typically due to their cultural norms and political expectations surrounding work-life balance. The Netherlands in particular have instilled policies like 'The Flexible Working Act', which promote this. Part-time work is also very prevalent, and the law allows employees to request reduced hours, which employers must seriously consider. Dutch culture highly values leisure and family time. Their commitment to a "no overtime culture" emphasises the expectation to leave work on time. Employees are encouraged to take all their holiday time, which is often more generous than the legal minimum of 20 days plus public holidays.
With Covid came a global shift in expectations as corporate offices were shut down and employees were asked to work from home. While employees may have shifted expectations around work-life balance as a result of this period, the global average working hours show that the vast majority of employers still don't oblige to these requests as the averages stay consistent.
It is evident that, globally, cultural expectations are mirrored in policy and this articulates working hours. However, despite the general assumption that hours worked must equate to higher labour productivity, the relationship is more complex and can be influenced by factors such as worker fatigue, fixed costs and primarily, the wealth of the nation.
For example, many European countries tend to have a higher GDP per hour worked. In 2023, Ireland recorded a GDP of $149.31 per hour, while Mexico’s was just $24.97, despite Mexican workers averaging 2,272 hours per year compared to just 1,851 in Ireland. This illustrates that longer working hours do not necessarily lead to greater national wealth.
In fact, wealthier countries typically work fewer hours, as workers are either more productive per hour or earn more for the value they create. Global inequality means that equivalent working hours in different countries do not translate to equivalent income or national prosperity.
