Annual working hours per worker in France
France: Annual working hours per worker was 1,487 hours per worker in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1,487 hours per worker
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
120th
of 130 countries
All-time high
3,168 hours per worker
in 1870
All-time low
1,391 hours per worker
in 2020
Years of data
81
1870–2023
Annual working hours per worker in France, 1870–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025); Huberman and Minns (2005) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hours per worker.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual working hours per worker in France is 1,487 hours per worker, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual working hours per worker in France peaked at 3,168 hours per worker in 1870 and was at its lowest, 1,391 hours per worker, in 2020.
That places France 120th out of 130 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 81 years of available data.
Annual working hours per worker in France, year by year
| Year | hours per worker | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 3,168 hours per worker | — |
| 1880 | 3,165 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1890 | 3,119 hours per worker | -1.5% |
| 1900 | 3,115 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1913 | 2,933 hours per worker | -5.8% |
| 1929 | 2,198 hours per worker | -25.1% |
| 1938 | 1,760 hours per worker | -19.9% |
| 1950 | 2,351 hours per worker | +33.6% |
| 1951 | 2,361 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 1952 | 2,339 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 1953 | 2,313 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 1954 | 2,316 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1955 | 2,292 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 1956 | 2,236 hours per worker | -2.4% |
| 1957 | 2,200 hours per worker | -1.6% |
| 1958 | 2,179 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 1959 | 2,179 hours per worker | -0.0% |
| 1960 | 2,188 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 1961 | 2,165 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 1962 | 2,178 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 2,159 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 1964 | 2,166 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1965 | 2,153 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 2,145 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 2,110 hours per worker | -1.6% |
| 1968 | 2,087 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 1969 | 2,012 hours per worker | -3.6% |
| 1970 | 1,993 hours per worker | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 1,990 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 1,937 hours per worker | -2.7% |
| 1973 | 1,920 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 1,888 hours per worker | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 1,863 hours per worker | -1.4% |
| 1976 | 1,889 hours per worker | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 1,850 hours per worker | -2.0% |
| 1978 | 1,789 hours per worker | -3.3% |
| 1979 | 1,785 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 1,776 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 1,755 hours per worker | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 1,683 hours per worker | -4.1% |
| 1983 | 1,665 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 1,657 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 1,623 hours per worker | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 1,619 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 1,630 hours per worker | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 1,640 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 1,626 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 1,622 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 1,615 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 1,611 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 1,602 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 1,600 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 1,579 hours per worker | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 1,575 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 1,574 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 1,565 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 1,561 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 1,542 hours per worker | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 1,523 hours per worker | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 1,490 hours per worker | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 1,493 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 1,517 hours per worker | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 1,519 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 1,503 hours per worker | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 1,525 hours per worker | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 1,532 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 1,520 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 1,528 hours per worker | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 1,534 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 1,528 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 1,513 hours per worker | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 1,504 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 1,504 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1,507 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 1,492 hours per worker | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 1,500 hours per worker | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 1,504 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 1,391 hours per worker | -7.5% |
| 2021 | 1,469 hours per worker | +5.6% |
| 2022 | 1,492 hours per worker | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 1,487 hours per worker | -0.3% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 1,487 hours per worker is below the median for high income countries, which is 1,668 hours per worker, 89% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- France's 1,487 hours per worker is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1,735 hours per worker, 86% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual working hours per worker in France changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | +33.6% | 1,760 hours per worker | 2,351 hours per worker |
| 1929 | -25.1% | 2,933 hours per worker | 2,198 hours per worker |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 3,168 hours per worker | 3,168 hours per worker | 3,168 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1880s | 3,165 hours per worker | 3,165 hours per worker | 3,165 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1890s | 3,119 hours per worker | 3,119 hours per worker | 3,119 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1900s | 3,115 hours per worker | 3,115 hours per worker | 3,115 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1910s | 2,933 hours per worker | 2,933 hours per worker | 2,933 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1920s | 2,198 hours per worker | 2,198 hours per worker | 2,198 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1930s | 1,760 hours per worker | 1,760 hours per worker | 1,760 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1950s | 2,277 hours per worker | 2,179 hours per worker | 2,361 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1960s | 2,136 hours per worker | 2,012 hours per worker | 2,188 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,890 hours per worker | 1,785 hours per worker | 1,993 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,667 hours per worker | 1,619 hours per worker | 1,776 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,590 hours per worker | 1,561 hours per worker | 1,622 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,516 hours per worker | 1,490 hours per worker | 1,542 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,511 hours per worker | 1,492 hours per worker | 1,534 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,460 hours per worker | 1,391 hours per worker | 1,492 hours per worker | 4 |
Countries ranked near France
- 117 United Kingdom 1,523 hours per worker compare
- 118 Mozambique 1,507 hours per worker compare
- 119 Finland 1,497 hours per worker compare
- 121 Uruguay 1,481 hours per worker compare
- 122 Luxembourg 1,452 hours per worker compare
- 123 Iceland 1,452 hours per worker compare
More work & labour data for France
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.028 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0063 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.62 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.3323 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 62,374 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 8,235 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 35,191 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 33,294 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 68,485 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual working hours per worker in France?
- Annual working hours per worker in France was 1,487 hours per worker in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025); Huberman and Minns (2005) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual working hours per worker recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 3,168 hours per worker in 1870.
- What is the lowest annual working hours per worker recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,391 hours per worker in 2020.
- How does France rank for annual working hours per worker?
- France ranks 120th out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual working hours per worker rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025); Huberman and Minns (2005) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual working hours per worker. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average working hours per worker in a given year.