Annual working hours per worker in Sweden
Sweden: Annual working hours per worker was 1,432 hours per worker in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1,432 hours per worker
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
126th
of 130 countries
All-time high
3,436 hours per worker
in 1870
All-time low
1,362 hours per worker
in 1981
Years of data
81
1870–2023
Annual working hours per worker in Sweden, 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 Sweden stood at 1,432 hours per worker.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual working hours per worker in Sweden peaked at 3,436 hours per worker in 1870 and was at its lowest, 1,362 hours per worker, in 1981.
Sweden ranks 126th of 130 countries on this measure, 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 Sweden, year by year
| Year | hours per worker | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 3,436 hours per worker | — |
| 1880 | 3,187 hours per worker | -7.2% |
| 1890 | 2,937 hours per worker | -7.8% |
| 1900 | 2,745 hours per worker | -6.5% |
| 1913 | 2,745 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 2,152 hours per worker | -21.6% |
| 1938 | 2,131 hours per worker | -1.0% |
| 1950 | 1,800 hours per worker | -15.5% |
| 1951 | 1,792 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1952 | 1,792 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 1,774 hours per worker | -1.0% |
| 1954 | 1,784 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 1955 | 1,774 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1956 | 1,752 hours per worker | -1.3% |
| 1957 | 1,752 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 1,723 hours per worker | -1.6% |
| 1959 | 1,700 hours per worker | -1.3% |
| 1960 | 1,695 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 1961 | 1,697 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 1,686 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1963 | 1,681 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 1964 | 1,653 hours per worker | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 1,644 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 1,631 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 1,603 hours per worker | -1.7% |
| 1968 | 1,565 hours per worker | -2.4% |
| 1969 | 1,545 hours per worker | -1.3% |
| 1970 | 1,545 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 1,516 hours per worker | -1.9% |
| 1972 | 1,480 hours per worker | -2.4% |
| 1973 | 1,466 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 1,449 hours per worker | -1.2% |
| 1975 | 1,428 hours per worker | -1.5% |
| 1976 | 1,439 hours per worker | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 1,412 hours per worker | -1.9% |
| 1978 | 1,378 hours per worker | -2.4% |
| 1979 | 1,370 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 1,370 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 1,362 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 1,375 hours per worker | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 1,383 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 1,385 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 1,389 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 1,387 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 1,396 hours per worker | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 1,414 hours per worker | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 1,413 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 1,410 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 1,398 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 1,413 hours per worker | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 1,442 hours per worker | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 1,477 hours per worker | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 1,482 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 1,493 hours per worker | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 1,498 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 1,497 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 1,506 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 1,489 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 1,469 hours per worker | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 1,447 hours per worker | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 1,433 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 1,453 hours per worker | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 1,452 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 1,450 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 1,462 hours per worker | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 1,475 hours per worker | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 1,461 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 1,486 hours per worker | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 1,487 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 1,474 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 1,465 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 1,466 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 1,467 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 1,478 hours per worker | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 1,466 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 1,465 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 1,451 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 1,423 hours per worker | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 1,441 hours per worker | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 1,436 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 1,432 hours per worker | -0.3% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 1,432 hours per worker is below the median for high income countries, which is 1,668 hours per worker, 86% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 1,432 hours per worker is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1,735 hours per worker, 83% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 3,436 hours per worker | 3,436 hours per worker | 3,436 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1880s | 3,187 hours per worker | 3,187 hours per worker | 3,187 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1890s | 2,937 hours per worker | 2,937 hours per worker | 2,937 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1900s | 2,745 hours per worker | 2,745 hours per worker | 2,745 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1910s | 2,745 hours per worker | 2,745 hours per worker | 2,745 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1920s | 2,152 hours per worker | 2,152 hours per worker | 2,152 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1930s | 2,131 hours per worker | 2,131 hours per worker | 2,131 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1950s | 1,764 hours per worker | 1,700 hours per worker | 1,800 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,640 hours per worker | 1,545 hours per worker | 1,697 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,448 hours per worker | 1,370 hours per worker | 1,545 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,387 hours per worker | 1,362 hours per worker | 1,414 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,461 hours per worker | 1,398 hours per worker | 1,506 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,459 hours per worker | 1,433 hours per worker | 1,489 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,470 hours per worker | 1,451 hours per worker | 1,487 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,433 hours per worker | 1,423 hours per worker | 1,441 hours per worker | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More work & labour data for Sweden
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0422 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0602 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0243 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.5427 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 10,837 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 788.88 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 5,587 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 5,780 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 11,367 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual working hours per worker in Sweden?
- Annual working hours per worker in Sweden was 1,432 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 3,436 hours per worker in 1870.
- What is the lowest annual working hours per worker recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,362 hours per worker in 1981.
- How does Sweden rank for annual working hours per worker?
- Sweden ranks 126th out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual working hours per worker rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sweden 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
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About this data
Average working hours per worker in a given year.