Linea Directa 200 LEFT COL CAR INSURANCE

PROPERTY SEARCH

Date Published: 02/06/2026

People in Spain are working longer than most Europeans despite growing focus on work-life balance

New figures show workers in Spain put in more hours than the EU average, while countries such as the Netherlands and Germany enjoy significantly shorter working weeks

Workers in Spain are spending more time on the job than the average European employee, according to the latest figures from Eurostat.

The data shows that employees in Spain worked an average of 36.3 hours per week in 2025, slightly above the EU average of 35.9 hours. While the difference may seem modest, it places Spain well behind several of Europe's most economically advanced countries when it comes to shorter working weeks.

The Netherlands recorded the lowest average working week at 31.9 hours, followed by Germany and Denmark on 33.9 hours, Austria on 34 hours and Belgium on 34.3 hours. At the other end of the scale were Greece, where employees worked an average of 39.6 hours a week, along with Poland and Bulgaria on 38.7 hours.

The figures come at a time when working conditions remain under the spotlight in Spain. Recent analysis showed that many employees have yet to see significant wage growth despite salary increases being reported across the economy.

One of the main reasons some countries report shorter average working weeks is the higher proportion of people working part time. The Netherlands leads Europe in this respect, with 38.6% of employees working part time. Austria follows with 30.2% and Germany with 29.2%.

Spain sits in a more complicated position. While part-time employment helps reduce average working hours elsewhere, many Spanish workers would actually prefer to work more. According to Eurostat, 45.7% of Spain's part-time employees want additional hours, the third-highest rate in the European Union. Only Romania, at 62.3%, and Italy, at 51%, recorded higher levels.

By contrast, just 2.2% of part-time workers in the Netherlands and 5.3% in Germany said they would like more hours.

Spanish part-time employees work an average of 20.2 hours per week, below the EU average of 21.8 hours. However, among full-time employees, Spain is exactly in line with the European average at 38.7 hours.

The figures also highlight how labour markets differ across Europe. Countries with shorter full-time working weeks often have stronger collective bargaining agreements and a greater concentration of higher value-added industries.

Meanwhile, Spain has recently introduced measures designed to give older workers greater flexibility over how and when they retire, including extending phased retirement options to self-employed workers for the first time.

The latest data also arrives just months after Spain's minimum wage was increased again, although previous reports have shown that rising minimum pay has not necessarily translated into stronger wage growth for the majority of workers.

For now, the numbers suggest that while Spain continues to debate pay, pensions and working conditions, employees are still putting in slightly longer hours than many of their European neighbours.

Image: Pexels/Pixabay

Linea Directa Bottom Article M-Z CAR INSURANCE

Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox

Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)