Malta's workforce logs 37.5-hour week, outpacing EU average by 1.6 hours
New Eurostat data shows Maltese employees work 37.5 hours weekly, 1.6 hours above the EU average, with implications for productivity and talent strategy.
Malta's workforce is putting in longer hours than most of Europe, according to fresh Eurostat data for 2025.
Employed people aged 20 to 64 in Malta worked an average of 37.5 actual hours per week in their main job. That sits 1.6 hours above the EU average of 35.9 hours.
The figure places Malta joint 10th-highest in the bloc alongside Czechia. Only nine EU countries recorded longer average working weeks.
Greece topped the ranking at 39.6 hours, followed by Poland and Bulgaria at 38.7 hours. Lithuania, Slovenia, Romania, Latvia, Croatia and Cyprus also reported longer weeks than Malta.
At the other end of the scale, the Netherlands logged the EU's shortest average working week at 31.9 hours. Denmark and Germany followed at 33.9 hours, with Austria at 34 hours.
Eurostat's data includes both full-time and part-time workers, meaning countries with higher part-time employment rates naturally show lower averages. Actual hours refer to time spent working during the reference week, including overtime, but excluding holidays, sick leave and commuting time.
Certain sectors in Malta push well beyond the national average. Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers averaged 42.4 actual hours per week. Plant and machine operators and assemblers logged around 40.2 hours.
Across the EU, the average working week has been shrinking, falling from 36.9 hours in 2015 to 35.9 hours in 2025. Malta is moving in the opposite direction, remaining firmly on the longer-working side of the bloc.
For Maltese businesses, this data raises practical questions. A workforce that consistently logs above-average hours may indicate productivity gaps, labour shortages, or cultural norms around presenteeism. It also affects talent attraction and retention, especially as younger workers and skilled professionals increasingly prioritise work-life balance.
Companies competing for talent in Malta's tight labour market may need to reassess whether longer hours are driving output or simply masking inefficiency. The gap with northern European peers is particularly striking and could influence how international investors view the local operating environment.