Annual working hours per worker in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Annual working hours per worker was 1,523 hours per worker in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1,523 hours per worker
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
117th
of 130 countries
All-time high
2,755 hours per worker
in 1870
All-time low
1,392 hours per worker
in 2020
Years of data
81
1870–2023
Annual working hours per worker in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom stood at 1,523 hours per worker.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual working hours per worker in United Kingdom peaked at 2,755 hours per worker in 1870 and was at its lowest, 1,392 hours per worker, in 2020.
That places United Kingdom 117th out of 130 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | hours per worker | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 2,755 hours per worker | — |
| 1880 | 2,740 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 1890 | 2,669 hours per worker | -2.6% |
| 1900 | 2,656 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 1913 | 2,656 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 2,257 hours per worker | -15.0% |
| 1938 | 2,200 hours per worker | -2.5% |
| 1950 | 2,023 hours per worker | -8.1% |
| 1951 | 2,031 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 1952 | 2,001 hours per worker | -1.5% |
| 1953 | 2,005 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 1954 | 2,009 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 1955 | 2,007 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1956 | 1,995 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1957 | 1,975 hours per worker | -1.0% |
| 1958 | 1,947 hours per worker | -1.4% |
| 1959 | 1,956 hours per worker | +0.5% |
| 1960 | 1,948 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1961 | 1,914 hours per worker | -1.7% |
| 1962 | 1,879 hours per worker | -1.8% |
| 1963 | 1,871 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1964 | 1,872 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 1,850 hours per worker | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 1,798 hours per worker | -2.8% |
| 1967 | 1,787 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 1,780 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 1,771 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 1,733 hours per worker | -2.2% |
| 1971 | 1,695 hours per worker | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 1,715 hours per worker | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 1,723 hours per worker | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 1,709 hours per worker | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 1,680 hours per worker | -1.7% |
| 1976 | 1,674 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 1,683 hours per worker | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 1,684 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 1,681 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 1,654 hours per worker | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 1,620 hours per worker | -2.0% |
| 1982 | 1,616 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 1,611 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 1,617 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 1,619 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 1,614 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 1,618 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 1,625 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 1,629 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 1,617 hours per worker | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 1,593 hours per worker | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 1,588 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 1,584 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 1,593 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 1,595 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 1,595 hours per worker | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 1,594 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 1,590 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 1,582 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 1,568 hours per worker | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 1,571 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 1,555 hours per worker | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 1,546 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 1,544 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 1,546 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 1,541 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 1,543 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 1,538 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 1,517 hours per worker | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 1,522 hours per worker | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 1,519 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 1,531 hours per worker | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 1,540 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 1,546 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 1,543 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 1,541 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 1,542 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 1,537 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 1,545 hours per worker | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 1,392 hours per worker | -9.9% |
| 2021 | 1,490 hours per worker | +7.0% |
| 2022 | 1,529 hours per worker | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 1,523 hours per worker | -0.4% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 1,523 hours per worker is below the median for high income countries, which is 1,668 hours per worker, 91% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 1,523 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 | 2,755 hours per worker | 2,755 hours per worker | 2,755 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1880s | 2,740 hours per worker | 2,740 hours per worker | 2,740 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1890s | 2,669 hours per worker | 2,669 hours per worker | 2,669 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1900s | 2,656 hours per worker | 2,656 hours per worker | 2,656 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1910s | 2,656 hours per worker | 2,656 hours per worker | 2,656 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1920s | 2,257 hours per worker | 2,257 hours per worker | 2,257 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1930s | 2,200 hours per worker | 2,200 hours per worker | 2,200 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1950s | 1,995 hours per worker | 1,947 hours per worker | 2,031 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,847 hours per worker | 1,771 hours per worker | 1,948 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,698 hours per worker | 1,674 hours per worker | 1,733 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,622 hours per worker | 1,611 hours per worker | 1,654 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,593 hours per worker | 1,582 hours per worker | 1,617 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,547 hours per worker | 1,517 hours per worker | 1,571 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,537 hours per worker | 1,519 hours per worker | 1,546 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,483 hours per worker | 1,392 hours per worker | 1,529 hours per worker | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More work & labour data for United Kingdom
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.93 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.07 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 111,361 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,223 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual working hours per worker in United Kingdom?
- Annual working hours per worker in United Kingdom was 1,523 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 2,755 hours per worker in 1870.
- What is the lowest annual working hours per worker recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,392 hours per worker in 2020.
- How does United Kingdom rank for annual working hours per worker?
- United Kingdom ranks 117th out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual working hours per worker rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.