Which is the hardest working country in Europe?

Eurostat has published figures for the working week of European countries for 2023. The results may come as a surprise. 

How hard working are Poles?

Photo: Pixabay/Frank Reppold/royaly-free license

Poland is one of the hardest-working countries in Europe, at least if we consider the average number of working hours per week:

Average working hours by European country.

However, if we consider effectiveness at work, the picture becomes more complicated. One standard measure - GDP per person per hour - places Poland 28th in the world. Which is 23rd in Europe, as only 5 countries in the top 30 of that table are outside Europe: the USA, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Israel. 

This measure can be disputed, however, since GDP may depend on other factors than employee efficiency. 

Sources: Eurostat, Expert Market, World Bank data

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