Annual working hours per worker in Switzerland
Switzerland: Annual working hours per worker was 1,529 hours per worker in 2023. ▼ Falling
Annual working hours per worker in Switzerland, 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
Switzerland recorded 1,529 hours per worker for annual working hours per worker in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual working hours per worker in Switzerland peaked at 3,195 hours per worker in 1870 and was at its lowest, 1,499 hours per worker, in 2020.
Switzerland ranks 116th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 3,195 hours per worker | 3,195 hours per worker | 3,195 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1880s | 3,083 hours per worker | 3,083 hours per worker | 3,083 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1890s | 2,925 hours per worker | 2,925 hours per worker | 2,925 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1900s | 2,834 hours per worker | 2,834 hours per worker | 2,834 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1910s | 2,704 hours per worker | 2,704 hours per worker | 2,704 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1920s | 2,281 hours per worker | 2,281 hours per worker | 2,281 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1930s | 2,085 hours per worker | 2,085 hours per worker | 2,085 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1950s | 2,009 hours per worker | 1,975 hours per worker | 2,043 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,980 hours per worker | 1,967 hours per worker | 1,993 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,913 hours per worker | 1,839 hours per worker | 1,996 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,768 hours per worker | 1,728 hours per worker | 1,824 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,714 hours per worker | 1,687 hours per worker | 1,740 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,674 hours per worker | 1,651 hours per worker | 1,713 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,576 hours per worker | 1,549 hours per worker | 1,611 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,524 hours per worker | 1,499 hours per worker | 1,536 hours per worker | 4 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More work & labour data for Switzerland
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 66.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 71.4% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 87.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 62.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 84.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 87.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 80.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual working hours per worker in Switzerland?
- Annual working hours per worker in Switzerland was 1,529 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 3,195 hours per worker in 1870.
- What is the lowest annual working hours per worker recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,499 hours per worker in 2020.
- How does Switzerland rank for annual working hours per worker?
- Switzerland ranks 116th out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual working hours per worker rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Switzerland 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.