๐ 2025 OECD Average Working Hours & Countries Adopting 4-Day and 4.5-Day Workweeks
๐ 2025 OECD Average Working Hours & Countries Adopting 4-Day and 4.5-Day Workweeks
As of 2025, the world of work is changing rapidly. ๐
With growing awareness around work-life balance, mental health, and productivity, many countries are rethinking the traditional 5-day, 40-hour workweek. In this article, we’ll explore the latest OECD data on average working hours and highlight the nations adopting 4-day and 4.5-day workweeks as alternatives.
๐ 2025 OECD Average Annual Working Hours: Where Does Each Country Stand?
According to the latest OECD report, countries still vary greatly in terms of how many hours their citizens work annually. Below are the top 20 OECD countries ranked by average annual working hours in 2025:
| Rank | Country | Hours/year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colombia | 2,405 |
| 2 | Mexico | 2,226 |
| 3 | Costa Rica | 2,149 |
| 4 | Chile | 1,962 |
| 5 | South Korea | 1,901 |
| 6 | Israel | 1,891 |
| 7 | Greece | 1,886 |
| 8 | Japan | 1,607 |
| 9 | United States | 1,810 |
| 10 | Canada | 1,686 |
| 11 | United Kingdom | 1,531 |
| 12 | France | 1,511 |
| 13 | Germany | 1,340 |
| 14 | Netherlands | 1,427 |
| 15 | Norway | 1,424 |
| 16 | Sweden | 1,440 |
| 17 | Finland | 1,498 |
| 18 | Austria | 1,443 |
| 19 | Belgium | 1,525 |
| 20 | Spain | 1,643 |
๐ Key insight: Countries with shorter working hours, like Germany and France, also rank higher in productivity and employee satisfaction.
๐ Countries Implementing 4-Day and 4.5-Day Workweeks
More countries are testing and adopting alternative schedules such as 4-day and 4.5-day workweeks. These changes aim to improve worker well-being, boost efficiency, and reduce burnout.
Here are some leading examples in 2025:
๐ฏ๐ต Japan
Starting in April 2025, Tokyo has officially launched a 4-day workweek for government employees, with private companies encouraged to follow suit.
๐ง๐ช Belgium
Since 2022, employees have had the legal right to request a compressed 4-day workweek without a reduction in salary. Employers must consider such requests seriously.
๐ฎ๐ธ Iceland
Between 2015 and 2019, Iceland conducted large-scale pilot programs, which showed no drop in productivity and significant increases in well-being. Most of the workforce now enjoys reduced working hours.
๐ช๐ธ Spain
Spain launched a pilot program in 2021 and has since expanded it. Many startups and tech firms are now operating on 4-day workweeks.
๐ฆ๐ช UAE
Since January 2022, the United Arab Emirates adopted a 4.5-day workweek for public sector workers, with Friday afternoon through Sunday as the new weekend.
๐ก Why This Shift Matters: Benefits of Shorter Workweeks
Research and real-world experiments show the following key benefits of reduced workweeks:
✅ Increased Productivity
✅ Improved Employee Health
✅ Greater Job Satisfaction
✅ Lower Turnover Rates
✅ Environmental Benefits (reduced commuting)
๐ฌ A Microsoft Japan trial showed a 40% boost in productivity during their 4-day workweek experiment.
๐ South Korea's Case: Still One of the Longest Working Cultures
South Korea ranks 5th in the OECD for average working hours in 2025, with 1,901 hours per year.
Despite efforts to reduce hours with policies like the 52-hour workweek cap, the work culture remains intense.
However, Korean businesses and policymakers are increasingly exploring flexible options, and several local governments are beginning pilot programs for shorter workweeks. The social conversation is clearly shifting.
๐ Conclusion: The Future of Work Is Flexibility
As we move further into the 2020s, it's clear that shorter workweeks are more than a trend — they’re a global movement. OECD countries are experimenting, adapting, and learning.
๐ผ Whether you're a policymaker, a business leader, or a worker, understanding where the world is heading helps you prepare for a more balanced and productive future.
