New data from Eurostat, the European Union's statistical office, reveals significant differences in actual weekly working hours across EU member states. The average for the EU is 35.9 hours per week for full-time employees, based on the latest available figures.
Greece tops the list with an average of 39.8 hours per week, followed by Poland (39.3 hours) and Romania (39.2 hours). At the other end of the spectrum, the Netherlands has the shortest working week at 29.2 hours, with Germany (34.2 hours) and Denmark (34.5 hours) also below the EU average.
The data, which covers actual hours worked including overtime and excluding holidays, shows a clear north-south divide. Southern European countries generally report longer hours, while Nordic and Western European nations tend to have shorter weeks. However, the figures do not account for productivity differences.
Eurostat notes that the figures are for main job only and are based on the EU Labour Force Survey. The data is from 2025, the most recent year available. The report highlights ongoing debates about work-life balance and economic efficiency across the bloc.
