Annual working hours vs. productivity in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Annual working hours vs. productivity was 1,523 hours per worker in 2023. ▼ Falling
Annual working hours vs. productivity in United Kingdom, 1950–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hours per worker.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual working hours vs. productivity in United Kingdom is 1,523 hours per worker, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual working hours vs. productivity in United Kingdom peaked at 2,031 hours per worker in 1951 and was at its lowest, 1,392 hours per worker, in 2020.
United Kingdom ranks 116th of 129 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1,995 hours per worker | 1,947 hours per worker | 2,031 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,847 hours per worker | 1,771 hours per worker | 1,948 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,698 hours per worker | 1,674 hours per worker | 1,733 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,622 hours per worker | 1,611 hours per worker | 1,654 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,593 hours per worker | 1,582 hours per worker | 1,617 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,547 hours per worker | 1,517 hours per worker | 1,571 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,537 hours per worker | 1,519 hours per worker | 1,546 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,483 hours per worker | 1,392 hours per worker | 1,529 hours per worker | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More economy & growth data for United Kingdom
- Exports of goods and services 1.22 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure 81.7% (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 376.76 billion constant LCU (2025)
- Gross national expenditure 4.06 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Gross national expenditure 3.08 trillion current LCU (2025)
- Gross national expenditure 3.41 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 0.4% (2025)
- Gross national expenditure 101.4% (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation 755.83 billion current US$ (2025)
- Exports of goods and services 30.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual working hours vs. productivity in United Kingdom?
- Annual working hours vs. productivity in United Kingdom was 1,523 hours per worker in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual working hours vs. productivity recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 2,031 hours per worker in 1951.
- What is the lowest annual working hours vs. productivity recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,392 hours per worker in 2020.
- How does United Kingdom rank for annual working hours vs. productivity?
- United Kingdom ranks 116th out of 129 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual working hours vs. productivity rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual working hours vs. productivity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This is the average sum of hours worked by employees and self-employed people during each year in a country.