Average annual hours actually worked per worker — Hours worked in OECD
OECD: Average annual hours actually worked per worker — Hours worked was 1,736 Hours per year per person in 2025. ▼ Falling
Average annual hours actually worked per worker — Hours worked in OECD, 1970–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Hours per year per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked in OECD is 1,736 Hours per year per person, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked in OECD peaked at 2,031 Hours per year per person in 1970 and was at its lowest, 1,687 Hours per year per person, in 2020.
OECD ranks 15th of 36 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.
Average annual hours actually worked per worker — Hours worked in OECD, year by year
| Year | Hours per year per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,031 Hours per year per person | — |
| 1971 | 2,018 Hours per year per person | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 2,005 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 1973 | 1,998 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 1,970 Hours per year per person | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 1,954 Hours per year per person | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 1,956 Hours per year per person | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 1,947 Hours per year per person | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 1,936 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 1,930 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 1,919 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 1,908 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 1,901 Hours per year per person | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 1,899 Hours per year per person | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 1,899 Hours per year per person | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 1,894 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 1,889 Hours per year per person | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 1,888 Hours per year per person | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 1,889 Hours per year per person | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 1,885 Hours per year per person | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 1,872 Hours per year per person | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 1,861 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 1,857 Hours per year per person | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 1,852 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 1,859 Hours per year per person | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 1,851 Hours per year per person | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 1,855 Hours per year per person | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 1,856 Hours per year per person | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1,847 Hours per year per person | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 1,848 Hours per year per person | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 1,837 Hours per year per person | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 1,824 Hours per year per person | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 1,822 Hours per year per person | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 1,813 Hours per year per person | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 1,812 Hours per year per person | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 1,823 Hours per year per person | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 1,824 Hours per year per person | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 1,821 Hours per year per person | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 1,816 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 1,789 Hours per year per person | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 1,796 Hours per year per person | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 1,798 Hours per year per person | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 1,797 Hours per year per person | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 1,792 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 1,791 Hours per year per person | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 1,790 Hours per year per person | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 1,787 Hours per year per person | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 1,779 Hours per year per person | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 1,775 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 1,766 Hours per year per person | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 1,687 Hours per year per person | -4.5% |
| 2021 | 1,741 Hours per year per person | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 1,749 Hours per year per person | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 1,745 Hours per year per person | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 1,741 Hours per year per person | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 1,736 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1,975 Hours per year per person | 1,930 Hours per year per person | 2,031 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,897 Hours per year per person | 1,885 Hours per year per person | 1,919 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,856 Hours per year per person | 1,847 Hours per year per person | 1,872 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,818 Hours per year per person | 1,789 Hours per year per person | 1,837 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,787 Hours per year per person | 1,766 Hours per year per person | 1,798 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,733 Hours per year per person | 1,687 Hours per year per person | 1,749 Hours per year per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD
- 12 Czechia 1,824 Hours per year per person compare
- 13 United States 1,800 Hours per year per person compare
- 14 Portugal 1,764 Hours per year per person compare
- 16 New Zealand 1,723 Hours per year per person compare
- 17 Italy 1,716 Hours per year per person compare
- 18 Canada 1,687 Hours per year per person compare
More work & labour data for OECD
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 32 - Employment by 37,610 Persons (2022)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 32 - Employment by 36,963 Persons (2022)
- Employment and unemployment by five-year age group and sex - levels 666,682 Persons (2025)
- Unemployed population — Unemployment 34,262 Persons (2024)
- Incidence of unemployment by duration 27.97 Percentage of population in the same subgroup (2025)
- Monthly unemployment levels 34,246 Persons (2024)
- Gender share of part-time employment 65.83 Percentage of population in the same subgroup (2025)
- Incidence of full-time and part-time employment based on national 79.66 Percentage of population in the same subgroup (2025)
- Full-time and part-time employment 504,527 Persons (2025)
- Full-time and part-time employment based on national definition 504,527 Persons (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked in OECD?
- Average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked in OECD was 1,736 Hours per year per person in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked recorded in OECD?
- The highest recorded value was 2,031 Hours per year per person in 1970.
- What is the lowest average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked recorded in OECD?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,687 Hours per year per person in 2020.
- How does OECD rank for average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked?
- OECD ranks 15th out of 36 countries with data for 2025.
- Is average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked rising or falling in OECD?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Average annual hours actually worked per worker — Hours worked. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
The concept used is the total number of hours worked over the year divided by the average number of people in employment. The data are intended for comparisons of trends over time; they are unsuitable for comparisons of the level of average annual hours of work for a given year, because of differences in their sources. Part-time workers are covered as well as full-time workers. Detailed notes and sources can be found in LFS_NOTES_SOURCES. In order to facilitate analysis and comparisons over time, historical data for OECD members have been provided over as long a period as possible, often even before a country became a member of the Organisation. Information on the membership dates of all OECD countries can be found at OECD Ratification Dates.