Countries With the Longest Working Hours (Latest Global Data)

1. Mexico - Longest working hours in the world

•    Average annual working hours: ~2,140 hours
•    Average weekly hours: 48–50 hours Mexico consistently ranks #1 for longest working hours among major economies. Many workers have long shifts, limited breaks, and minimal paid leave.

2. Costa Rica

•    Average annual hours: ~2,000+ Costa Rica often appears in the top three due to long workweeks and high labor participation.

3. South Korea

•    Average annual hours: ~1,900–2,000 South Korea historically had extremely long workweeks, though recent reforms have reduced hours slightly.

4. Chile

•    Average annual hours: ~1,900 Strong work culture and long shifts keep Chile high on the list.

5. Turkey

•    Average annual hours: ~1,850–1,900 Turkey has one of the longest workweeks in Europe and the Middle East.

6. Greece

•    Average weekly hours: ~41–43 Despite being in the EU, Greece has some of the longest working hours in Europe.

7. India

•    Average weekly hours: 47–48 India is not part of OECD rankings, but ILO data shows Indian workers have one of the longest workweeks globally, especially in urban and informal sectors.

8. UAE

•    Average weekly hours: 48 The UAE has long working hours, especially in private-sector and service jobs, though regulations cap the week at 48 hours.

Quick Summary

If you want the single country with the longest working hours, the answer is:

Mexico — the longest working hours in the world

If you want the longest workweeks, countries like India, UAE, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Qatar also rank very high.