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.

495 minutes worked per day
231 minutes non-job work (6th)
265 minutes job work (18th)

496 minutes worked per day
207 minutes non-job work (17th)
289 minutes job work (9th)

498 minutes worked per day
227 minutes non-job work (8th)
271 minutes job work (15th)

504 minutes worked per day
164 minutes non-job work (29th)
340 minutes job work (4th)

509 minutes worked per day
203 minutes non-job work (18th)
306 minutes job work (6th)

516 minutes worked per day
232 minutes non-job work (5th)
284 minutes job work (10th)

517 minutes worked per day
197 minutes non-job work (23rd)
320 minutes job work (5th)

528 minutes worked per day
233 minutes non-job work (4th)
295 minutes job work (7th)

540 minutes worked per day
164 minutes non-job work (28th)
376 minutes job work (1st)

594 minutes worked per day
253 minutes non-job work (1st)
342 minutes job work (3rd)