Results showing a significant difference in the average number of working hours in countries with the longest and shortest working weeks are a result of economic structures and social policies.

Last year's list of countries, which includes all nations worldwide, ranked Mexico, Costa Rica, and Chile at the top for having the most weekly working hours. In these countries, the average work year consists of about 2,200 hours, translating to roughly 43-44 working hours per week. The main reason for the longer working hours is a larger share of labor-intensive industries such as agriculture, as well as less developed social policies that allow for shorter work hours.

On the other hand, Germany, Denmark, and Norway have the shortest average working hours. In Germany, the average worker works around 1,343 hours annually, which amounts to less than 27 hours per week. These countries’ cultures emphasize work-life balance, and developed social policies support more flexible working conditions, according to a “Visual Capitalist” study.

The differences between the longest and shortest working hours can be up to 900 hours annually, indicating significant differences in work cultures across the world.

According to Eurostat, Turkey currently tops the list with 44.2 working hours per week, followed closely by Serbia in second place with 41.7 hours per week, which is 0.2 hours higher than the “World Population Review” study.

In third place is Bosnia and Herzegovina with 41.4 hours per week, followed by Greece at 39.8, Romania at 39.5, Poland at 39.3, Croatia at 38.1, Slovenia at 38.1, and so on.

At the bottom of the list for average working hours are the Netherlands with 32.2 and Austria with 33.6 hours.