One in five Greeks works more than 45 hours a week, Eurostat finds
Greeks are the most overworked employees in the European Union, with more than one in five working over 45 hours per week, according to new data released by Eurostat.
In the second quarter of 2025, an average of 10.8% of EU workers aged 20–64 were employed for more than 45 hours per week, combining their main and secondary jobs. However, Greece topped the list with a striking 20.9%, more than ten percentage points above the EU average.
Cyprus ranked second with 16.6%, followed by Malta at 14.6%.
At the other end of the spectrum, the lowest shares of long working hours were recorded in Bulgaria (2.5%), Latvia (4.1%), and Romania (5.9%).
Across the EU, the most common working pattern was between 20 and 44 hours per week, covering 72.3% of all employed persons. The highest shares in this category were observed in Bulgaria (92.8%), Romania (90.6%), and Latvia (86.9%).
Meanwhile, 16.9% of EU workers were employed for up to 19 hours per week, a pattern most prevalent in the Netherlands (26.8%), Denmark (25.5%), and Austria (25.3%). The smallest proportions of part-time workers were found in Romania (3.5%), Bulgaria (4.6%), and Greece (6.1%).
The Eurostat findings highlight the significant disparities in work culture and labor time across the EU, with southern European countries continuing to show higher rates of overtime and long working weeks compared to their northern counterparts.
Source: Eurostat
