Do Americans Work More Than Any Other Country?
Calculators5 min readApril 1, 2026

Do Americans Work More Than Any Other Country?

Do Americans work more than any other country? The data is surprising. Americans work more than most wealthy nations but less than some developing countries. Here's the full comparison.

Priya Nair
Remote Work Consultant

Do Americans Work More Than Any Other Country?

Americans work more than most wealthy nations but don't top the global list.

Annual Hours Worked (OECD)

CountryAvg Annual Hours
Mexico2,128
South Korea1,915
United States1,811
Canada1,685
UK1,532
France1,511
Germany1,349

Americans work ~250 more hours/year than the average German — roughly 6 extra weeks.

Why Do Americans Work So Much?

  • No federally mandated paid vacation
  • No universal paid sick leave
  • "Hustle culture" norms
  • Healthcare tied to employment

Quick Answer

No — Mexico and some developing nations log more hours. But Americans work significantly more than most wealthy nations (~1,811 hours/year).

#work hours#USA#international#productivity