On average, residents of the United States work more annual hours than their counterparts in other countries. Additionally, the United States provides neither statutory minimum annual leave, nor mandated paid parental leave.
Work & leisure
| COLOR CODING | |
|---|---|
| Green | Ranked first for statistic |
| Red | Ranked last for statistic |
| Life Satisfaction Average Score | Average hours worked/ year | Statutory min. annual leave | Vacation Days Offered | Vacation Days Taken | Weeks of paid maternity leave | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 7.1 | 1,694 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 12 |
| Canada | 7.0 | 1,685 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 16 |
| Denmark | 7.5 | 1,363 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 18 |
| France | 6.7 | 1,490 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 16 |
| Germany | 7.3 | 1,349 | 20 | 30 | 28 | 14 |
| Italy | 6.5 | 1,669 | 20 | 30 | 25 | 21.7 |
| Japan | 6.1 | 1,607 | 10 | 20 | 10 | 14 |
| Netherlands | 7.5 | 1,417 | 20 | 25 | 22 | 16 |
| Norway | 7.3 | 1,427 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 18 |
| Sweden | 7.3 | 1,444 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 12.9 |
| United Kingdom | 6.8 | 1,497 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 39 |
| United States | 7.0 | 1,767 | 0 | 15 | 12 | 0 |
SOURCES
Life Satisfaction Average Score: OECD Better Life Index 2020
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings, on a scale from 0 to 10, self-reported.
Average Hours Worked per Year: OECD, 2021
Average annual hours actually worked per worker. Includes both full-time and part-time workers.
Statutory minimum annual leave: OECD Family Database, 2020
Statutory and collectively agreed annual leave.
Columns 4-5: Expedia, Work-Life Imbalance, 2016
Weeks of paid maternity leave: OECD Family Database, 2021
Paid leave entitlements available to mothers.
Notes
Discover the State of Global Emotions
2022 Gallup Global Emotions Report
“Gallup Research Reveals Peak Stress and Sadness Worldwide” Thierry Malleret
July 12, 2022
Global Wellness Institute. The Gallup 2022 Global Emotions Report shows historic highs for negative emotions across 121 nations. This includes record levels of stress, sadness and loneliness since the first Gallup report in 2006.
Page updated 11/8/2022.