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The most productive countries work the fewest hours

Original title: Annual working hours vs. productivity · Our World in Data · Date unavailable

The most productive countries work the fewest hours

Chart: Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0

So what

A Norwegian hour produces $130 of GDP against $8 in India, yet Indians work about 1,000 more hours a year. Across 128 countries, productivity, not effort, separates rich from poor. Germany pairs the shortest year (1,335 hours) with $83 an hour, the same output per hour as the US with 450 fewer hours.

LabelValueUnitPeriod
Norway annual hours per worker1412.06hours2023
Norway GDP per hour worked130.13191international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Switzerland annual hours per worker1528.94hours2023
Switzerland GDP per hour worked99.93163international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Denmark annual hours per worker1379.94hours2023
Denmark GDP per hour worked88.71552international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Luxembourg annual hours per worker1452.08hours2023
Luxembourg GDP per hour worked84.75741international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Netherlands annual hours per worker1438.74hours2023
Netherlands GDP per hour worked84.80053international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Belgium annual hours per worker1593.29hours2023
Belgium GDP per hour worked84.40303international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
United States annual hours per worker1788.88hours2023
United States GDP per hour worked83.531105international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Germany annual hours per worker1335.27hours2023
Germany GDP per hour worked82.501175international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
France annual hours per worker1487.1hours2023
France GDP per hour worked77.668205international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
United Kingdom annual hours per worker1522.8hours2023
United Kingdom GDP per hour worked68.0298international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Italy annual hours per worker1701.42hours2023
Italy GDP per hour worked67.24595international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Singapore annual hours per worker2283.18hours2023
Singapore GDP per hour worked65.92123international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Spain annual hours per worker1637.99hours2023
Spain GDP per hour worked63.997158international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Turkey annual hours per worker1747.46hours2023
Turkey GDP per hour worked56.52384international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
South Korea annual hours per worker1910.23hours2023
South Korea GDP per hour worked53.608574international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Japan annual hours per worker1653.9hours2023
Japan GDP per hour worked49.000053international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Poland annual hours per worker1806.92hours2023
Poland GDP per hour worked46.688633international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Mexico annual hours per worker1628.87hours2023
Mexico GDP per hour worked26.803362international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Brazil annual hours per worker1993.72hours2023
Brazil GDP per hour worked19.95744international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
China annual hours per worker2327.79hours2023
China GDP per hour worked17.692911international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Indonesia annual hours per worker1958.47hours2023
Indonesia GDP per hour worked14.346768international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Myanmar annual hours per worker2197.01hours2023
Myanmar GDP per hour worked8.743789international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
India annual hours per worker2382.58hours2023
India GDP per hour worked8.060808international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Bangladesh annual hours per worker2383.18hours2023
Bangladesh GDP per hour worked7.7235928international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023
Cambodia annual hours per worker2388.86hours2023
Cambodia GDP per hour worked4.6236663international-$ (2021 prices) per hour2023