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Journalism of Courage
India is one of the most overworked countries in the world where workers have been putting in some of the longest hours — 46.7 hours per week per employed person, as per the International Labour Organization.
Also, 51 per cent of India’s workforce is logging 49 or more hours per week, placing it in the second rank among the countries with the highest number of extended working hours.
While Bhutan tops the global list with a staggering 61 per cent of its workforce working for more than 49 hours per week, inclusion of Bangladesh (47 per cent) and Pakistan (40 per cent) — the other South Asian countries in top 10 list indicate that these nations, in particular, sees a significant portion of its workforce engaged in long hours.
Globally, countries like the United Arab Emirates (50.9 hours, 39 per cent) and Lesotho (50.4 hours, 36 per cent) also report high average weekly working hours, but India stands out for the proportion of its workforce going beyond the 49-hour mark.
Countries like Aruba, China, Croatia, Georgia, Germany, Isle of Man, Japan, Jersey and Singapore where the average hours per week per employed person are 39.4, 46.1, 37.9, 40.5, 34.2, 35.0, 36.6, 40.0 and 42.6 respectively, none of the employed in these countries are working 49 hours or more per week.
The findings raise important discussions about work-life balance and labour policies, as India’s workforce continues to push the limits of extended working hours.
Vanuatu has emerged as the country with the shortest average working hours per employed person. Workers in Vanuatu clock an average of just 24.7 hours per week, the lowest among all surveyed nations. Furthermore, only 4 per cent of the workforce in Vanuatu works 49 hours or more per week, marking a stark contrast to global labour trends.
Other countries with similarly low working hours include Kiribati (27.3 hours) and the Federated States of Micronesia (30.4 hours), where only 10 per cent and two per cent of the employed population, respectively, work extended hours. These Pacific island nations appear to enjoy a more relaxed work culture compared to countries like India and Bhutan, where more than half the workforce works over 49 hours per week.
In Europe, countries like the Netherlands (31.6 hours) and Norway (33.7 hours) also report significantly lower average working hours, reflecting a focus on work-life balance.
