EU workers average 35.9-hour week; Croatian workers longer

Workers across the European Union clocked an average of 35.9 hours per week in 2025, a full hour less than a decade ago, according to Eurostat data. However, Croatia's average workweek stood slightly longer at 37.7 hours. This difference is likely due to Croatia having one of the lowest proportions of part-time workers in the EU, as lower living standards make it difficult for many to afford reduced working hours.

Across the EU, the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors reported the longest average workweeks, with employees working 41.2 hours weekly. Mining followed at 38.9 hours, and construction at 38.6 hours. In contrast, workers in private households reported the shortest average workweek at 27.1 hours. Employees in education and those in arts, entertainment, and recreation also reported shorter weeks, at 31.8 and 32.7 hours, respectively.

These EU averages encompass both full-time and part-time workers aged 20 to 64. However, significant disparities exist between member states. Greece recorded the longest workweek at 39.6 hours, followed by Bulgaria and Poland at 38.7 hours, and Lithuania at 38.4 hours. At the other end of the spectrum, the Netherlands had the shortest average workweek at 31.9 hours, with Denmark and Germany close behind at 33.9 hours, and Austria at 34 hours.

When examining specific professions, qualified workers in agriculture, forestry, and fishing reported the longest hours at 42.0 hours per week. Managers worked an average of 40.6 hours, and members of the armed forces worked 39.4 hours. For full-time employees across the EU, men averaged 39.4 hours per week, while women averaged 37.6 hours. Significant national differences persist for women's working hours, with those in Slovenia reporting the longest average at 39.2 hours, followed by Lithuania (39.1 hours), and Latvia and Poland (38.9 hours). Conversely, women in the Netherlands worked the shortest week at 35 hours.