Indians world's 13th hardest workers; Mexicans top

Indians work for 486 minutes, or 8.1 hours, every day, more than the average figure for the entire developed world and individual countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Italy and Germany, according to a survey by conducted by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international grouping of the world's top developed nations.

However, the average work-hour for Indians is less than the same for people in countries like the United States, China and Japan, while those in Mexico are the busiest in the world, a new global survey has found.

Indians are the world's 13th most hardworking people. The average for the OECD nations is 8 hours a day, slightly below the figure for Indians at 8.1 hours (486 minutes).

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1.  Mexico: 594 minutes (9.90 hours) per day

"Mexicans work longer days than anyone else in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, devoting 10 hours to paid and unpaid work, such as cleaning or cooking at home," found the survey by OECD, an international grouping of the world's top developed nations.

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2.  Japan: 540 minutes (9.00 hours) per day

Mexico is followed by Japan (9 hours) as the second longest day of paid and non-paid work, while Belgium has been ranked lowest (7.1 hours).

In terms of unpaid work only, Mexicans again do the most (more than 3 hours per day), while Koreans the least at 1 hour and 19 minutes.

Indians spend 191 minutes (nearly 3.2 hours) on unpaid work and little below five hours on paid work every day.

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3.  Portugal: 528 minutes (8.80 hours) per day

The Portuguese work for 528 minutes a day on an average, making them the world's third most hardworking people.

Much of the unpaid work globally is spent cooking, and Americans spend the least time cooking each day (30 minutes) and Turks the most (74 minutes).

Most people spend around 50 minutes a day cooking, the survey found.

Besides cooking, shopping also makes up a big part of unpaid work. Most people in OECD countries spend 23 minutes a day shopping, with the French spending the most (32 minutes) and the Koreans the least (13 minutes). 

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4.  Canada: 517 minutes (8.61 hours) per day

Canadian are the world's fourth most hardworking people. They work for 8.61 hours a day.

The total work-time has been pegged at 594 minutes for Mexico, 540 minutes for Japan, 504 minutes for China, 498 minutes in New Zealand and 496 minutes for the United States.

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5.  Estonia: 516 minutes (8.60 hours) per day

Estonian workers work 8.60 hours a day and are the world's fifth most hardworking people.

Among the countries ranked below India, those in Korea work for 484 minutes, 481 minutes in Australia, 474 minutes in Italy, 473 minutes in the United Kingdom, 451 minutes in Finland, 448 minutes in France, 445 minutes in Germany and 427 minutes in Belgium.

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6.  Austria: 509 minutes (8.48 hours) per day

The OECD report also found that the value of unpaid work is considerable, equivalent to about one-third of GDP in OECD countries, ranging from a low of 19 per cent in Korea to a high of 53 per cent in Portugal.

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7.  China: 504 minutes (8.40 hours) per day

The Chinese work for 8.40 hours a day, on an average. This makes them the world's 7th hardest-working people.

In terms of paid work only, Japanese worked the most (6.3 hours a day), while those in Denmark worked the least (3.75 hours per day). 

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8.  New Zealand: 498 minutes (8.30 hours) per day

The New Zealanders are the world's 8th most hardworking people. On an average, they clock 8.30 hours per day at work.

Most unpaid work is housework. Mexicans do the most, at more than 3 hours per day, and Koreans the least, at 1 hour and 19 minutes.

Much of this time is spent cooking. Americans spend the least time cooking each day (30 minutes) and Turks the most in the OECD (74 minutes). Most people spend around 50 minutes a day cooking.

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9.  United States of America: 496 minutes (8.26 hours) per day

The Americans are also amongst the world's most industrious people. They clock 8.26 hours a day at work, making them the world's 9th most hardworking people.

Shopping also makes up a big part of unpaid work. Most people in OECD countries spend 23 minutes a day shopping, with the French spending the most (32 minutes) and the Koreans the least (13 minutes).

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10. Slovenia: 495 minutes (8.25 hours) per day

At an average of 10 hours per day, Mexicans spend the longest total time working (paid plus unpaid work) in the OECD while Belgians do the least at 7 hours per day.

The value of unpaid work is considerable -- about one-third of GDP in OECD countries, ranging from a low of 19 per cent in Korea to a high of 53 per cent in Portugal -- making an important contribution to the well-being of all OECD societies.

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11. Sweden: 494 minutes (8.23 hours) per day

Most unpaid work is cooking and cleaning -- on average 2 hours 8 minutes work per day across the OECD -- followed by care for household members at 26 minutes per day. Shopping takes up 23 minutes per day across the OECD on average.

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12. Turkey: 489 minutes (8.15 hours) per day

Americans spend the least daily time cooking per day (30 minutes) and Turks the most in the OECD (74 minutes).

At less than 80 minutes per day, the United States also has the third lowest time spent eating in the OECD. Interestingly, American obesity rates, at one third of the population, are the highest in the OECD.

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14. Korea: 484 minutes (8.06 hours) per day

The Koreans, once the world's hardest working people, are now ranked 14th, just behind India. The average Korean worker clocks 8.06 hours at work a day.

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15. Ireland: 483 minutes (8.05 hours) per day

Top shoppers in the OECD in terms of daily time are France (32 minutes), Germany (31 minutes) and Canada (30 minutes), while Korea (13 minutes per day), Turkey (14 minutes) and Portugal (17 minutes per day) spend the least time shopping.

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16. Australia: 481 minutes (8.01 hours) per day

Total daily care time of household and non-household members is lowest in Belgium, Japan and Hungary, at 16, 18 and 20 minutes per day, respectively, and highest in Australia (45 minutes), New Zealand (48 minutes) and Ireland (62 minutes).

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17. Poland: 479 minutes (7.98 hours) per day

Poland sees its working population put in an average of 7.98 hours of work everyday.

This makes Poles the world's 17th most hardworking people.

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18. Hungary: 477 minutes (7.95 hours) per day

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19. Spain: 475 minutes (7.91 hours) per day

Spaniards are the world's 19th most hardworking people.

Unpaid work in Spain is 41% of GDP, the fifth highest in the OECD after Japan (42%), New Zealand (43%), Australia (46%), and Portugal (53%).

With 18 per cent of the labour force unemployed, Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the OECD.

Youth unemployment is 20 percentage points higher than the average population, while the migrant unemployment gap is 11 percentage points. The average OECD gaps are respectively 10 and 3 percentage points. 

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20. Italy: 474 minutes (7.90 hours) per day

Italian women spend 3 hours 40 minutes per day more on unpaid work (cooking, cleaning, caring, etc.) than Italian men, the greatest gender gap in the OECD after Mexico, Turkey and Portugal. On average, across the OECD, women spend 2 and a half hours per day more than men on unpaid work.

59% of Italians cook or clean up afterwards each day, below the OECD average figure of 64%. However, Italians who do cook or clean up after do quite of lot of it - 1 hour and 39 minutes per day, compared to an OECD average of 1 hour and 24 minutes. The Italian figure is the fifth highest in the OECD, after Turkey, Portugal, Mexico and Japan.

Fewer than 58% of working-age Italians are in work, the fourth lowest rate in the OECD, partly because of the low labour force participation of women.

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