In 2023, the expected average duration of working life for 15-year-olds in the European Union (EU) was estimated at 36.9 years. However, this expectation varied significantly among the different member countries of the EU.
In some countries, the duration of working life exceeded 40 years. The nations with the highest records were the Netherlands with 43.7 years, Sweden with 43.1 years, and Denmark with 41.3 years. On the other hand, the countries with the lowest durations were Romania with 32.2 years, Italy with 32.9 years, and Croatia with 34.0 years.
The information comes from employment and unemployment data published by Eurostat. This article reports findings from a more detailed analysis available in the related article “Statistics Explained.”
For men, the expected duration of working life on average was 39.0 years in the EU. The longest durations were recorded in the Netherlands with 45.7 years, Sweden with 44.1 years, and both Denmark and Ireland with 42.8 years. The shortest durations were found in Croatia with 35.4 years, and in Bulgaria and Romania, both with 35.6 years.
For women, the average duration of working life in the EU was 34.7 years. The longest durations were recorded in Sweden with 41.9 years, followed by the Netherlands and Estonia, both with 41.5 years. The shortest durations were observed in Italy with 28.3 years, Romania with 28.5 years, and Greece with 30.6 years.
Since 2013, the expected average duration of working life has steadily increased in the EU. However, in 2020, this trend was reversed due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19, decreasing to 35.6 years from the 35.9 years recorded in 2019. In 2021, the average duration returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Referrer: MiMub in Spanish
