QCOSTARICA — Ticos (Costa Ricans) placed in third place for the most hours worked per year of the members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to the most recent data consulted in October 2023.
With an average of 2,149 hours per worker, Costa Rica exceeds the Organization’s average of 1,752 hours.
Read more: OECD: Ticos work a lot of hours, but they don’t generate as much wealth as some other countries
The data were obtained from the total number of hours actually worked per year, divided by the average of workers, whether employed or self-employed.
The result includes normal full-time and part-time work hours, paid and unpaid overtime, and additional work hours.
Time not worked due to holidays, vacations, illness and disability, maternity or paternity leave, and other causes is not taken into account.
Latin America has the highest working hours in the OECD, an intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries, according to the ranking. Costa Rica formally became an OECD Member (the 38th member) in May 2021.
Colombia is the country with the most hours worked, clocking in 2,405 hours annually, followed by Mexico with 2,226.
Meanwhile, Europe has the lowest averages of the entire organization.
Top ten countries that work the most hours per year:
- Colombia 2,405
- Mexico 2,226
- Costa Rica 2,149
- Chile 1,963
- Korea 1,901
- Israel 1,892
- Greece 1,886
- Malta 1,882
- Russia 1,874
- Cyprus 1,837
On the opposite end of the scale, five countries with the fewest hours dedicated to work per year.:
- Germany 1,341
- Denmark 1,372
- Norway 1,425
- the Netherlands 1,427
- Sweden 1,440
