Top 10 most productive countries

Which countries produce the most GDP while they work?

Published: August 12, 2021 at 11:00 am

How productive are you at work? Do you give your tasks your full attention and clear your to-do list every day, or are you more likely to have Facebook open on a second tab that you hurriedly click away from when somebody walks past?

If you're in the second camp, you'll be please to know that when data scientists measure labour productivity, they don’t look at the amount of time you spend scrolling on social media. What’s measured is the average amount of GDP (gross domestic product) a worker creates per hour. That might seem a bit vague if you’re a teacher or a taxi driver, but if you work if a factory, you could think of it as a measure of how many products you make in an hour.

Productivity has been rising steadily around the world for decades, thanks in no small part to technology. And not only does technological innovation make us more productive, it also drives an increase in income and a decrease in working hours.

But which nation produces the most GDP per hour worked? Read on to find out which countries are the most productive overall, according to a study of 2017 data by Our World in Data.

10. Belgium

Belgium flag

42.18£/h

9. Netherlands

Netherlands flag

43.43£/h

8. France

France flag © Getty Images

44.40£/h

7. Denmark

Denmark flag

45.75£/h

6. United States of America

US-flag

46.32£/h

5. Germany

Germany-flag

47.17£/h

4. Luxembourg

Luxembourg flag © Getty Images

48.33£/h

3. Switzerland

Switzerland flag

48.97£/h

2. Norway

Norway flag
© Getty Images

57.15£/h

1. Ireland

Ireland-flag

70.09£/h

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