Croatia ranks in top 10 for weekly work hours

Despite a common perception that work hours in Croatia are short, data shows otherwise.

According to a 2024 OECD analysis, Croatia ranks among the top ten hardest-working countries globally, with an average of 34.3 hours worked weekly and 1,837 hours annually.

The highest work hours are recorded in Mexico (42.7 hours per week), Costa Rica (41.3 hours), and Chile (37.5 hours). Greece, Israel, South Korea, Canada, Malta, Romania and Croatia also feature in the top ten.

The OECD’s methodology calculates the total number of actual working hours, including full-time, part-time, paid and unpaid overtime, and additional jobs, divided by the number of employed individuals, excluding holidays, sick leave, and parental leave.

Eurostat data for the EU confirms that Croatia has an above-average workweek of 39.8 hours, placing it among the top in the EU.

However, the Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP) argues that these figures are distorted, as Croatia includes a mandatory 30-minute break in its work hours, unlike most EU countries, except Slovenia and Portugal, daily Jutarnji list writes.

This break adds at least 2.5 hours per week, suggesting the actual full-time workweek is around 37 hours.

HUP also highlights that, despite long working hours, Croatia has low productivity levels. Vedran Šošić, Chief Economist at the Croatian National Bank, adds that Croatia’s figures are also influenced by the low proportion of part-time workers, with only 3.6% in 2023, compared to the EU average of 17.1%.

Differences in part-time work uptake may be due to cultural factors and income levels, with higher wages potentially encouraging more part-time work.

Differences in regulations across countries also impact average work hours; some nations emphasise work-life balance, offering shorter workweeks and more holidays, while others have longer workweeks, often resulting in lower life satisfaction and higher stress levels, according to the OECD.

Overworked employees are more prone to mistakes, lower work quality, and reduced productivity due to exhaustion.

The OECD analysis warns that while companies may expect high performance from their top employees, overworking them can negatively impact productivity. Some workers may also take on extra work to make ends meet, leading to further stress and exhaustion.