A new global ranking has identified the countries with the longest average working hours, placing Bhutan at the top of the list. In this Himalayan kingdom, the average workweek spans 54.7 hours per employee. Experts attribute these high figures to the dominance of labor-intensive industries and a relatively low level of industrial automation, which necessitates longer hours to meet national production demands.

Following Bhutan, Lesotho ranks second with an average of approximately 50 hours per week, while Sao Tome and Principe holds the third spot with 49 hours. The top five also includes the Republic of the Congo and Jordan. Most nations characterized by extended work schedules are located in Asia and Africa, where the local economies are heavily reliant on primary sectors such as agriculture and forestry.

This geographic and economic distribution highlights a clear trend: in regions where technology has not yet fully streamlined production, the human factor remains the primary driver of the economy. In these countries, a long workweek is a functional necessity rather than a lifestyle choice, reflecting the structural challenges of transitioning toward more service-oriented or automated economic models.

However, economists point out that a shorter workweek is not always an indicator of national prosperity. Interestingly, the group of countries with the fewest working hours includes both highly developed Norway and crisis-stricken Yemen. This comparison suggests that while in some nations shorter hours result from high productivity and social benefits, in others they may stem from a lack of employment opportunities or overall economic instability.