Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to in OECD

OECD: Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to was 20 Hours per week in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
20 Hours per week
Change on year
up 5.3%
World rank
10th
of 31 countries
All-time high
20 Hours per week
in 2017
All-time low
17 Hours per week
in 2001
Years of data
25
2001–2025

Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to in OECD, 2001–2025

051015202001201320252001: 17 Hours per week2002: 17 Hours per week2003: 17 Hours per week2004: 17 Hours per week2005: 18 Hours per week2006: 18 Hours per week2007: 19 Hours per week2008: 19 Hours per week2009: 17 Hours per week2010: 17 Hours per week2011: 17 Hours per week2012: 18 Hours per week2013: 18 Hours per week2014: 18 Hours per week2015: 18 Hours per week2016: 19 Hours per week2017: 20 Hours per week2018: 19 Hours per week2019: 20 Hours per week2020: 20 Hours per week2021: 20 Hours per week2022: 20 Hours per week2023: 20 Hours per week2024: 19 Hours per week2025: 20 Hours per week

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Hours per week.

Analysis

OECD recorded 20 Hours per week for hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in 2025. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.3% on the previous year and up 11.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in OECD peaked at 20 Hours per week in 2017 and was at its lowest, 17 Hours per week, in 2001.

That places OECD 10th out of 31 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to in OECD, year by year

Annual values for Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to escape poverty for a jobless family claiming minimum income benefits in OECD, 2001 to 2025.
Year Hours per week Change
2001 17 Hours per week
2002 17 Hours per week +0.0%
2003 17 Hours per week +0.0%
2004 17 Hours per week +0.0%
2005 18 Hours per week +5.9%
2006 18 Hours per week +0.0%
2007 19 Hours per week +5.6%
2008 19 Hours per week +0.0%
2009 17 Hours per week -10.5%
2010 17 Hours per week +0.0%
2011 17 Hours per week +0.0%
2012 18 Hours per week +5.9%
2013 18 Hours per week +0.0%
2014 18 Hours per week +0.0%
2015 18 Hours per week +0.0%
2016 19 Hours per week +5.6%
2017 20 Hours per week +5.3%
2018 19 Hours per week -5.0%
2019 20 Hours per week +5.3%
2020 20 Hours per week +0.0%
2021 20 Hours per week +0.0%
2022 20 Hours per week +0.0%
2023 20 Hours per week +0.0%
2024 19 Hours per week -5.0%
2025 20 Hours per week +5.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 17.67 Hours per week 17 Hours per week 19 Hours per week 9
2010s 18.4 Hours per week 17 Hours per week 20 Hours per week 10
2020s 19.83 Hours per week 19 Hours per week 20 Hours per week 6

Countries ranked near OECD

  1. 8 Türkiye 8 Hours per week compare
  2. 8 Austria 23 Hours per week compare
  3. 9 Spain 21 Hours per week compare
  4. 10 Italy 20 Hours per week compare
  5. 10 Romania 20 Hours per week compare
  6. 10 Canada 20 Hours per week compare
  7. 10 Hungary 20 Hours per week compare
  8. 10 Portugal 20 Hours per week compare
  9. 10 Switzerland 20 Hours per week compare
  10. 10 Bulgaria 20 Hours per week compare

See the full ranking of 42 places →

More economy & growth data for OECD

All data for OECD →

Frequently asked questions

What is hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in OECD?
Hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in OECD was 20 Hours per week in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to recorded in OECD?
The highest recorded value was 20 Hours per week in 2017.
What is the lowest hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to recorded in OECD?
The lowest recorded value was 17 Hours per week in 2001.
How does OECD rank for hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to?
OECD ranks 10th out of 31 countries with data for 2025.
Is hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to rising or falling in OECD?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this OECD data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to escape poverty for a jobless family claiming minimum income benefits. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to in OECD. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/hours-of-work-needed-to-escape-poverty-working-hours-needed-to-escape-poverty-for-a/oecd/

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About this data

Indicator
Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to escape poverty for a jobless family claiming minimum income benefits
Unit
Hours per week
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
42 places, 952 data points, 2001–2025
Last refreshed

This indicator measures the working hours needed to escape poverty for a jobless family claiming minimum income benefits. Calculations for families with children assume 2 children aged 4 and 6 who do not use formal childcare.