Hardest working countries list: OECD

Which is the hardest working member of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)?

The OECD has 34 members, consisting of mostly developed countries. On the question of which member country works the hardest, many immediately assume it’s industrious Asian countries like Japan, which is infamous for its long work hours.

The OECD list (which also included China, India, and South Africa, three non-OECD countries), however, has a twist; it counts not only hours worked at jobs and schools, but also hours spent doing non-job related work. When non-job work is accounted for, the resultant list of the hardest working countries contains surprises that perhaps defy common expectations.

What non-job related work occupy people’s time?

Household work is a big one, with Koreans spending 1 hour and 19 minutes per day while Mexicans spend 3 hours per day.

Cooking is another, with American spending 30 minute while Turks spend 74 minutes.

Shopping is a third, which takes 13 minutes for Koreas and 32 minutes for the French.

Click “Start” to view OECD's list of the hardest working countries.