Countries with the longest working hours in the world
According to a report from the International Labor Organization (ILO), workers in the world work 43.9 hours per week on average, but some countries exceed this average due to different economic structures, cultural norms and labor policies.
According to the ranking, cited by the Inter-American Conference on Social Security ( CISS ), the country with the longest working hours is India, where its workers work 56 hours a week, 12 hours more than the average.
Bhutan is second on the list. The Asian country has 53.3 hours of work per week. This is followed by Bangladesh, with 50.4 hours.
The next countries in the top 10 are: these
Uganda: 50.3 hours
Cambodia: 49.5 hours
Pakistan: 49.2 hours
Sudan: 49 hours
United Arab Emirates: 48.7 hours
Jordan: 48.4 hours
Zimbabwe: 48.1 hours
In the case of Latin America, the countries with the longest working hours are the following:
Colombia: 46.6 hours
Guatemala: 45.3 hours
Mexico: 45.2 hours
Honduras: 44.9 hours
El Salvador: 66.8 hours
However, the ‘Hours worked’ indicator on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has another list, in which it estimates an average of the effective time that each worker works for a year.
The indicator includes regular work hours of full-time, part-time and annual workers, paid and unpaid overtime hours, and hours worked in additional jobs.
In 2024, the countries leading the longest working hours are
Peru: 2,263 hours
Mexico: 2,193 hours
Costa Rica: 2,149 hours
Croatia: 1,956 hours
Chile: 1,919 hours
Greece: 1,898 hours
Israel: 1,877 hours
South Korea: 1,856 hours
Cyprus: 1,844 hours
Romania: 1,829 hours
Meanwhile, the OECD recommends that, per worker, working hours should be 1,736 per year.
Reduction of working hours in Mexico
The initiative to reduce the working day from 48 to 40 hours has been a long discussion process, but it aims to become a reality.
(Jesus Almazan)
Marath Bolaños, Secretary of Labor and Social Security, reported this Wednesday that An agreement was reached with the business sector to reduce the working day from 48 to 40 hours, change that will be implemented gradually and starting in 2027. Each year it will decrease by two hours.
“To guarantee the rights of workers, a working day of 40 hours per week will be established at the constitutional level, as well as in the federal labor law. This reduction from 40 to 48 hours may not imply a reduction in wages or salaries or benefits,” said the official at the morning press conference.
The initiative will be sent to the Senate to make the constitutional changes necessary for the reform.
In 2026, adjustments will begin so that, starting in 2027, the reduction in working hours will begin. It will not be until the year 2030 when Mexico will have a 40-hour work day.
The danger of long work hours
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the ILO revealed that between 2000 and 2016, deaths from heart disease and stroke increased by 42% and 19% respectively due to long working hours.
Cases were mainly concentrated in regions of the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia, in middle-aged or older workers.
The study concluded that working 55 or more hours per week is associated with an estimated 35% higher risk of having a stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease, compared to working 35-40 hours per week.
With information from Lidia Arista
