Annual working hours per worker in South Korea
South Korea: Annual working hours per worker was 1,910 hours per worker in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1,910 hours per worker
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
73rd
of 130 countries
All-time high
3,040 hours per worker
in 1969
All-time low
1,881 hours per worker
in 2022
Years of data
71
1953–2023
Annual working hours per worker in South Korea, 1953–2023
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
South Korea recorded 1,910 hours per worker for annual working hours per worker in 2023.
That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and down 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual working hours per worker in South Korea peaked at 3,040 hours per worker in 1969 and was at its lowest, 1,881 hours per worker, in 2022.
South Korea ranks 73rd of 130 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 71 years of available data.
Annual working hours per worker in South Korea, year by year
| Year | hours per worker | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 2,484 hours per worker | — |
| 1954 | 2,521 hours per worker | +1.5% |
| 1955 | 2,557 hours per worker | +1.5% |
| 1956 | 2,595 hours per worker | +1.5% |
| 1957 | 2,632 hours per worker | +1.5% |
| 1958 | 2,671 hours per worker | +1.5% |
| 1959 | 2,709 hours per worker | +1.5% |
| 1960 | 2,749 hours per worker | +1.5% |
| 1961 | 2,789 hours per worker | +1.5% |
| 1962 | 2,829 hours per worker | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 2,871 hours per worker | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 2,780 hours per worker | -3.2% |
| 1965 | 2,901 hours per worker | +4.3% |
| 1966 | 2,883 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 2,919 hours per worker | +1.3% |
| 1968 | 2,973 hours per worker | +1.9% |
| 1969 | 3,040 hours per worker | +2.2% |
| 1970 | 2,919 hours per worker | -4.0% |
| 1971 | 2,913 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 2,907 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 2,901 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 2,896 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 2,890 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 2,884 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 2,878 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 2,873 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 2,867 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 2,861 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 2,877 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 2,890 hours per worker | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 2,908 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 2,904 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 2,879 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 2,908 hours per worker | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 2,877 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 2,831 hours per worker | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 2,728 hours per worker | -3.6% |
| 1990 | 2,674 hours per worker | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 2,658 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 2,636 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 2,653 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 2,637 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 2,645 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 2,634 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 2,579 hours per worker | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 2,485 hours per worker | -3.6% |
| 1999 | 2,492 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 2,509 hours per worker | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 2,496 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 2,461 hours per worker | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 2,421 hours per worker | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 2,389 hours per worker | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 2,348 hours per worker | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 2,344 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 2,304 hours per worker | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 2,217 hours per worker | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 2,167 hours per worker | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 2,153 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 2,126 hours per worker | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 2,110 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 2,100 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 2,070 hours per worker | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 2,077 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 2,062 hours per worker | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 2,012 hours per worker | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 1,988 hours per worker | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 1,963 hours per worker | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 1,904 hours per worker | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 1,912 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 1,881 hours per worker | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 1,910 hours per worker | +1.6% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 1,910 hours per worker is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,668 hours per worker, 1.1× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 1,910 hours per worker is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2,169 hours per worker, 88% of the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2,596 hours per worker | 2,484 hours per worker | 2,709 hours per worker | 7 |
| 1960s | 2,873 hours per worker | 2,749 hours per worker | 3,040 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1970s | 2,893 hours per worker | 2,867 hours per worker | 2,919 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,866 hours per worker | 2,728 hours per worker | 2,908 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,610 hours per worker | 2,485 hours per worker | 2,674 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,366 hours per worker | 2,167 hours per worker | 2,509 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,066 hours per worker | 1,963 hours per worker | 2,153 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,902 hours per worker | 1,881 hours per worker | 1,912 hours per worker | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More work & labour data for South Korea
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 16,840 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 63.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 29,824 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 2.96 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.78 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 97,052 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 65,686 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 62.02 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.9719 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.1065 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual working hours per worker in South Korea?
- Annual working hours per worker in South Korea was 1,910 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 3,040 hours per worker in 1969.
- What is the lowest annual working hours per worker recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,881 hours per worker in 2022.
- How does South Korea rank for annual working hours per worker?
- South Korea ranks 73rd out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual working hours per worker rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea 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.