Annual working hours per worker in Italy
Italy: Annual working hours per worker was 1,701 hours per worker in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1,701 hours per worker
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
92nd
of 130 countries
All-time high
3,014 hours per worker
in 1900
All-time low
1,514 hours per worker
in 2020
Years of data
81
1870–2023
Annual working hours per worker in Italy, 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
In 2023, annual working hours per worker in Italy stood at 1,701 hours per worker.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual working hours per worker in Italy peaked at 3,014 hours per worker in 1900 and was at its lowest, 1,514 hours per worker, in 2020.
That places Italy 92nd out of 130 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 81 years of available data.
Annual working hours per worker in Italy, year by year
| Year | hours per worker | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 3,000 hours per worker | — |
| 1880 | 3,008 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1890 | 3,006 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1900 | 3,014 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1913 | 2,953 hours per worker | -2.0% |
| 1929 | 2,153 hours per worker | -27.1% |
| 1938 | 2,162 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 1950 | 2,073 hours per worker | -4.1% |
| 1951 | 2,079 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1952 | 2,085 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1953 | 2,092 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1954 | 2,098 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1955 | 2,105 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1956 | 2,111 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1957 | 2,118 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1958 | 2,124 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1959 | 2,131 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1960 | 2,137 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1961 | 2,121 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 1962 | 2,072 hours per worker | -2.3% |
| 1963 | 2,058 hours per worker | -0.7% |
| 1964 | 2,052 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 1,995 hours per worker | -2.8% |
| 1966 | 2,013 hours per worker | +0.9% |
| 1967 | 2,037 hours per worker | +1.2% |
| 1968 | 2,031 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 2,030 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 2,009 hours per worker | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 1,957 hours per worker | -2.6% |
| 1972 | 1,939 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 1,923 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 1,893 hours per worker | -1.6% |
| 1975 | 1,877 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 1,875 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 1,841 hours per worker | -1.8% |
| 1978 | 1,831 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 1,825 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 1,826 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 1,829 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 1,839 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 1,844 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 1,833 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 1,827 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 1,839 hours per worker | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 1,854 hours per worker | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 1,861 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 1,849 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 1,833 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 1,824 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 1,827 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 1,827 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1,827 hours per worker | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 1,832 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 1,841 hours per worker | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 1,835 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 1,850 hours per worker | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 1,847 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 1,828 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 1,818 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 1,801 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 1,784 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 1,784 hours per worker | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 1,780 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 1,781 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 1,786 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 1,775 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 1,743 hours per worker | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 1,743 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1,739 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 1,701 hours per worker | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 1,687 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 1,686 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 1,688 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 1,692 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 1,691 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 1,690 hours per worker | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 1,680 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 1,514 hours per worker | -9.9% |
| 2021 | 1,653 hours per worker | +9.2% |
| 2022 | 1,691 hours per worker | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 1,701 hours per worker | +0.6% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 1,701 hours per worker is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,668 hours per worker, 1.0× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Italy's 1,701 hours per worker is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1,735 hours per worker, 98% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual working hours per worker in Italy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | -27.1% | 2,953 hours per worker | 2,153 hours per worker |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 3,000 hours per worker | 3,000 hours per worker | 3,000 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1880s | 3,008 hours per worker | 3,008 hours per worker | 3,008 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1890s | 3,006 hours per worker | 3,006 hours per worker | 3,006 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1900s | 3,014 hours per worker | 3,014 hours per worker | 3,014 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1910s | 2,953 hours per worker | 2,953 hours per worker | 2,953 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1920s | 2,153 hours per worker | 2,153 hours per worker | 2,153 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1930s | 2,162 hours per worker | 2,162 hours per worker | 2,162 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1950s | 2,102 hours per worker | 2,073 hours per worker | 2,131 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1960s | 2,054 hours per worker | 1,995 hours per worker | 2,137 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,897 hours per worker | 1,825 hours per worker | 2,009 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,840 hours per worker | 1,826 hours per worker | 1,861 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,834 hours per worker | 1,824 hours per worker | 1,850 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,788 hours per worker | 1,743 hours per worker | 1,828 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,700 hours per worker | 1,680 hours per worker | 1,743 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,640 hours per worker | 1,514 hours per worker | 1,701 hours per worker | 4 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More work & labour data for Italy
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.6708 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6794 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.662 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0094 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 44,671 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 10,422 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 17,512 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 17,865 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 35,377 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual working hours per worker in Italy?
- Annual working hours per worker in Italy was 1,701 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 3,014 hours per worker in 1900.
- What is the lowest annual working hours per worker recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,514 hours per worker in 2020.
- How does Italy rank for annual working hours per worker?
- Italy ranks 92nd out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual working hours per worker rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Italy 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 81 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average working hours per worker in a given year.