Annual working hours per worker in Switzerland
Switzerland: Annual working hours per worker was 1,529 hours per worker in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1,529 hours per worker
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
116th
of 130 countries
All-time high
3,195 hours per worker
in 1870
All-time low
1,499 hours per worker
in 2020
Years of data
81
1870–2023
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.
Annual working hours per worker in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | hours per worker | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 3,195 hours per worker | — |
| 1880 | 3,083 hours per worker | -3.5% |
| 1890 | 2,925 hours per worker | -5.1% |
| 1900 | 2,834 hours per worker | -3.1% |
| 1913 | 2,704 hours per worker | -4.6% |
| 1929 | 2,281 hours per worker | -15.6% |
| 1938 | 2,085 hours per worker | -8.6% |
| 1950 | 2,043 hours per worker | -2.0% |
| 1951 | 2,035 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1952 | 2,027 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1953 | 2,020 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1954 | 2,012 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1955 | 2,005 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1956 | 1,997 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1957 | 1,990 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1958 | 1,982 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1959 | 1,975 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1960 | 1,967 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1961 | 1,970 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 1,973 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 1,976 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 1,979 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 1,982 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 1,984 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 1,987 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 1,990 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 1,993 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 1,996 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 1,985 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 1,961 hours per worker | -1.2% |
| 1973 | 1,934 hours per worker | -1.4% |
| 1974 | 1,905 hours per worker | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 1,897 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 1,893 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 1,866 hours per worker | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 1,851 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 1,839 hours per worker | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 1,824 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 1,805 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 1,794 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 1,779 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 1,760 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 1,754 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 1,745 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 1,744 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 1,743 hours per worker | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 1,728 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 1,718 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 1,716 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 1,725 hours per worker | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 1,720 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 1,740 hours per worker | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 1,720 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 1,697 hours per worker | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 1,687 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 1,696 hours per worker | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 1,717 hours per worker | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 1,713 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 1,673 hours per worker | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 1,651 hours per worker | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 1,665 hours per worker | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 1,695 hours per worker | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 1,690 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 1,679 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 1,669 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 1,659 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 1,651 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 1,611 hours per worker | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 1,608 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 1,593 hours per worker | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 1,573 hours per worker | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 1,565 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 1,577 hours per worker | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 1,577 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1,559 hours per worker | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 1,551 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 1,549 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 1,499 hours per worker | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 1,532 hours per worker | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 1,536 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 1,529 hours per worker | -0.5% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 1,529 hours per worker is below the median for high income countries, which is 1,668 hours per worker, 92% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 1,529 hours per worker is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1,735 hours per worker, 88% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
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
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0651 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0485 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0817 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.4 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6452 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 8,038 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,842 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,568 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,558 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 9,126 1000 No (2100)
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.
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.