Duration of working life by country
Countries reporting
44
Highest
46.5 Year
Iceland
Lowest
30.3 Year
Montenegro
Median
38.1 Year
Years covered
26
2000–2025
Data points
1,123
What the numbers show
Duration of working life is currently reported for 44 countries. The highest value is 46.5 Year in Iceland; the lowest is 30.3 Year in Montenegro.
The median across all reporting countries is 38.1 Year, and the mean is 37.99 Year.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 2.
Over the past decade 43 countries rose and 1 fell. The largest increase was in Malta (up 16.0%), and the largest decrease in Romania (down 0.3%).
Duration of working life: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iceland | 46.5 Year | 2024 | up 0.6% | flat |
| 2 | Netherlands | 44 Year | 2025 | up 10.3% | rising |
| 2 | Netherlands | 44 Year | 2025 | up 10.3% | rising |
| 4 | Sweden | 43.4 Year | 2025 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 5 | Switzerland | 42.8 Year | 2025 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 6 | Denmark | 42.6 Year | 2025 | up 10.1% | rising |
| 7 | Estonia | 41.5 Year | 2025 | up 12.2% | rising |
| 7 | Estonia | 41.5 Year | 2025 | up 12.2% | rising |
| 9 | Norway | 41.4 Year | 2025 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 10 | Ireland | 40.7 Year | 2025 | up 13.1% | rising |
| 11 | Germany | 40.2 Year | 2025 | up 6.1% | rising |
| 12 | Finland | 40.1 Year | 2025 | up 6.4% | rising |
| 13 | Portugal | 39.7 Year | 2025 | up 7.6% | rising |
| 14 | Cyprus | 39.5 Year | 2025 | up 9.1% | rising |
| 15 | Malta | 39.2 Year | 2025 | up 16.0% | rising |
| 15 | United Kingdom | 39.2 Year | 2018 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 15 | United Kingdom | 39.2 Year | 2018 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 18 | Austria | 39.1 Year | 2025 | up 6.5% | rising |
| 19 | Lithuania | 38.6 Year | 2025 | up 10.6% | rising |
| 19 | Lithuania | 38.6 Year | 2025 | up 10.6% | rising |
| 21 | Latvia | 38.1 Year | 2025 | up 7.6% | rising |
| 21 | Latvia | 38.1 Year | 2025 | up 7.6% | rising |
| 21 | Czechia | 38.1 Year | 2025 | up 8.2% | rising |
| 24 | Hungary | 37.5 Year | 2025 | up 15.0% | rising |
| 24 | France | 37.5 Year | 2025 | up 7.4% | rising |
| 26 | Slovenia | 37.2 Year | 2025 | up 8.5% | rising |
| 26 | Slovenia | 37.2 Year | 2025 | up 8.5% | rising |
| 28 | Spain | 36.8 Year | 2025 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 29 | Slovakia | 36.1 Year | 2025 | up 8.1% | rising |
| 29 | Slovakia | 36.1 Year | 2025 | up 8.1% | rising |
| 31 | Poland | 35.9 Year | 2025 | up 10.1% | rising |
| 31 | Poland | 35.9 Year | 2025 | up 10.1% | rising |
| 33 | Belgium | 35.7 Year | 2025 | up 9.5% | rising |
| 34 | Luxembourg | 35.6 Year | 2025 | up 6.3% | rising |
| 35 | Serbia | 35.5 Year | 2025 | up 13.4% | rising |
| 36 | Greece | 35.3 Year | 2025 | up 9.3% | rising |
| 37 | Croatia | 35.1 Year | 2025 | up 7.7% | rising |
| 37 | Croatia | 35.1 Year | 2025 | up 7.7% | rising |
| 39 | Bulgaria | 34.6 Year | 2025 | up 7.8% | rising |
| 40 | Italy | 33 Year | 2025 | up 7.5% | rising |
| 41 | Romania | 32.7 Year | 2025 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 42 | North Macedonia | 31.8 Year | 2025 | up 1.9% | flat |
| 43 | Türkiye | 30.4 Year | 2025 | up 8.6% | rising |
| 44 | Montenegro | 30.3 Year | 2020 | up 9.0% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) 37.6 Year
- European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) 37.5 Year