Annual working hours vs. GDP per capita in China
China: Annual working hours vs. GDP per capita was 2,328 hours per worker in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2,328 hours per worker
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
15th
of 130 countries
All-time high
2,486 hours per worker
in 2005
All-time low
2,110 hours per worker
in 1954
Years of data
72
1952–2023
Annual working hours vs. GDP per capita in China, 1952–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hours per worker.
Analysis
In 2023, annual working hours vs. gdp per capita in China stood at 2,328 hours per worker.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual working hours vs. gdp per capita in China peaked at 2,486 hours per worker in 2005 and was at its lowest, 2,110 hours per worker, in 1954.
That places China 15th out of 130 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 72 years of available data.
Annual working hours vs. GDP per capita in China, year by year
| Year | hours per worker | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 2,129 hours per worker | — |
| 1953 | 2,121 hours per worker | -0.4% |
| 1954 | 2,110 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 1955 | 2,198 hours per worker | +4.1% |
| 1956 | 2,253 hours per worker | +2.5% |
| 1957 | 2,263 hours per worker | +0.4% |
| 1958 | 2,356 hours per worker | +4.1% |
| 1959 | 2,453 hours per worker | +4.1% |
| 1960 | 2,177 hours per worker | -11.3% |
| 1961 | 2,164 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 1962 | 2,163 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 2,248 hours per worker | +3.9% |
| 1964 | 2,249 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 2,249 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 2,249 hours per worker | -0.0% |
| 1967 | 2,249 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 2,249 hours per worker | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 2,249 hours per worker | -0.0% |
| 1970 | 2,247 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 2,245 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 2,243 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 2,243 hours per worker | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 2,242 hours per worker | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 2,241 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 2,239 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 2,238 hours per worker | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 2,236 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 2,240 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 2,243 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 2,245 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 2,248 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 2,249 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 2,253 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 2,251 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 2,249 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 2,246 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 2,245 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 2,245 hours per worker | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 2,247 hours per worker | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 2,244 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 2,241 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 2,237 hours per worker | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 2,234 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 2,233 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 2,252 hours per worker | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 2,272 hours per worker | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 2,298 hours per worker | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 2,318 hours per worker | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 2,334 hours per worker | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 2,351 hours per worker | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 2,368 hours per worker | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 2,382 hours per worker | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 2,376 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 2,486 hours per worker | +4.6% |
| 2006 | 2,460 hours per worker | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 2,366 hours per worker | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 2,319 hours per worker | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 2,324 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 2,444 hours per worker | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 2,402 hours per worker | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 2,408 hours per worker | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 2,426 hours per worker | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 2,423 hours per worker | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 2,405 hours per worker | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 2,397 hours per worker | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 2,383 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 2,370 hours per worker | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 2,357 hours per worker | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 2,255 hours per worker | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 2,292 hours per worker | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 2,339 hours per worker | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 2,328 hours per worker | -0.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 2,328 hours per worker is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2,063 hours per worker, 1.1× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- China's 2,328 hours per worker is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2,169 hours per worker, 1.1× the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2,235 hours per worker | 2,110 hours per worker | 2,453 hours per worker | 8 |
| 1960s | 2,225 hours per worker | 2,163 hours per worker | 2,249 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1970s | 2,241 hours per worker | 2,236 hours per worker | 2,247 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,247 hours per worker | 2,243 hours per worker | 2,253 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,258 hours per worker | 2,233 hours per worker | 2,318 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,377 hours per worker | 2,319 hours per worker | 2,486 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,402 hours per worker | 2,357 hours per worker | 2,444 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,303 hours per worker | 2,255 hours per worker | 2,339 hours per worker | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More work & labour data for China
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -1.65 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -1.74 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -1.57 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.11 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.0615 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1.12 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 275,362 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 319,567 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 326,230 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 645,797 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual working hours vs. gdp per capita in China?
- Annual working hours vs. gdp per capita in China was 2,328 hours per worker in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual working hours vs. gdp per capita recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 2,486 hours per worker in 2005.
- What is the lowest annual working hours vs. gdp per capita recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,110 hours per worker in 1954.
- How does China rank for annual working hours vs. gdp per capita?
- China ranks 15th out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual working hours vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual working hours vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
This is the average sum of hours worked by employees and self-employed people during each year in a country.