Average annual hours actually worked per worker — Hours worked in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Average annual hours actually worked per worker — Hours worked was 1,533 Hours per year per person in 2025. ▼ Falling
Average annual hours actually worked per worker — Hours worked in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom is 1,533 Hours per year per person, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked in United Kingdom peaked at 1,775 Hours per year per person in 1970 and was at its lowest, 1,364 Hours per year per person, in 2020.
That places United Kingdom 26th out of 36 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Hours per year per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,775 Hours per year per person | — |
| 1971 | 1,740 Hours per year per person | -2.0% |
| 1972 | 1,709 Hours per year per person | -1.8% |
| 1973 | 1,760 Hours per year per person | +3.0% |
| 1974 | 1,725 Hours per year per person | -2.0% |
| 1975 | 1,720 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 1,704 Hours per year per person | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 1,687 Hours per year per person | -1.0% |
| 1978 | 1,669 Hours per year per person | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 1,661 Hours per year per person | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 1,619 Hours per year per person | -2.5% |
| 1981 | 1,567 Hours per year per person | -3.2% |
| 1982 | 1,581 Hours per year per person | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 1,568 Hours per year per person | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 1,583 Hours per year per person | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 1,613 Hours per year per person | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 1,616 Hours per year per person | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 1,605 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 1,642 Hours per year per person | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 1,631 Hours per year per person | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 1,617 Hours per year per person | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 1,615 Hours per year per person | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 1,583 Hours per year per person | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 1,577 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 1,586 Hours per year per person | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 1,586 Hours per year per person | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1,586 Hours per year per person | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1,586 Hours per year per person | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1,582 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 1,572 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 1,558 Hours per year per person | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 1,563 Hours per year per person | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 1,543 Hours per year per person | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 1,534 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 1,534 Hours per year per person | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1,544 Hours per year per person | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 1,536 Hours per year per person | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 1,541 Hours per year per person | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 1,525 Hours per year per person | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 1,516 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 1,507 Hours per year per person | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 1,515 Hours per year per person | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 1,531 Hours per year per person | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 1,534 Hours per year per person | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 1,542 Hours per year per person | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 1,525 Hours per year per person | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 1,541 Hours per year per person | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 1,536 Hours per year per person | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 1,536 Hours per year per person | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1,537 Hours per year per person | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 1,364 Hours per year per person | -11.2% |
| 2021 | 1,498 Hours per year per person | +9.8% |
| 2022 | 1,532 Hours per year per person | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 1,524 Hours per year per person | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 1,538 Hours per year per person | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 1,533 Hours per year per person | -0.3% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 1,533 Hours per year per person is below the median for high income countries, which is 1,640 Hours per year per person, 93% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 1,533 Hours per year per person is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1,586 Hours per year per person, 97% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1,715 Hours per year per person | 1,661 Hours per year per person | 1,775 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,602 Hours per year per person | 1,567 Hours per year per person | 1,642 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,589 Hours per year per person | 1,572 Hours per year per person | 1,617 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,540 Hours per year per person | 1,516 Hours per year per person | 1,563 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,530 Hours per year per person | 1,507 Hours per year per person | 1,542 Hours per year per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,498 Hours per year per person | 1,364 Hours per year per person | 1,538 Hours per year per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 23 Spain 1,633 Hours per year per person compare
- 24 Japan 1,598 Hours per year per person compare
- 25 Belgium 1,586 Hours per year per person compare
- 27 Switzerland 1,512 Hours per year per person compare
- 28 France 1,498 Hours per year per person compare
- 29 Finland 1,492 Hours per year per person compare
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 average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked in United Kingdom?
- Average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked in United Kingdom was 1,533 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 1,775 Hours per year per person in 1970.
- What is the lowest average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,364 Hours per year per person in 2020.
- How does United Kingdom rank for average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked?
- United Kingdom ranks 26th out of 36 countries with data for 2025.
- Is average annual hours actually worked per worker — hours worked rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.
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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.