“Lazy Greeks” myth busted again – Greeks work the longest hours in the EU in a week, says Eurostat

The Netherlands had the shortest working week

Greek workers work an average of 41 hours per week, taking the top spot among EU member-states, according to Eurostat. In 2022, working time for people aged 20-64 per week in the EU averaged 37.5 hours, the data released by Eurostat showed. The differences between EU Member States are notable.

Greece is followed by workers in Poland (40.4), Romania, and Bulgaria (both 40.2 hours). In contrast, the Netherlands had the shortest working week (33.2 hours), followed by Germany (35.3) and Denmark (35.4).

Average working hours refer to full-time and part-time workers. Thus, different proportions of part-time workers in different countries affect the results, in addition to the different legal and usual length of the working week.

Working hours refer to the number of hours per week that people usually work in their main job. It is the average of the actual hours worked per week over a long reference period, excluding weeks in which there is an absence from work (e.g. holidays, vacations, strikes).