Malta (2025)
4.1
% of employed persons
-0.1pp YoY
YoY Change
-0.1pp
percentage points
Trend
down
Series length
7
years of data

Data

Year% of employed personsYoY Change
20254.1-0.1pp
20244.2+0.6pp
20233.6+0.2pp
20223.4+1.5pp
20211.9-5.5pp
20207.4+4pp
20193.4n/a

About this Dataset

Malta recorded 4.1% of employed persons usually working 49 or more hours per week in 2025, 1.9pp above the EU-27 average of 2.2%. The rate has risen from 3.4% in 2019.

Data sourced from Eurostat Labour Force Survey via SDMX REST API (LFSA_QOE_4A6R2, nace_r2=TOTAL). Values use harmonised LFS methodology.

The chart shows the full trend from 2019; the table lists annual values with year-on-year changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

In 2025, **4.1%** of employed persons in Malta usually worked 49 or more hours per week, 1.9pp above the EU-27 average of 2.2%. This figure has been rising since 2019, when it stood at 3.4%.
The long working hours rate in Malta has increased from 3.4% in 2019 to 4.1% in 2025. The EU-wide trend is gradually declining, driven by Working Time Directive enforcement, collective bargaining, and the growth of flexible work arrangements.
Malta's rate of 4.1% in 2025 is 1.9pp above the EU-27 average. Among EU member states with available data, rates range from about 0.5% (Poland, Italy) to approximately 5.7% (Slovakia). Malta's position suggests a higher-than-average prevalence of overwork, which may reflect sectoral composition, self-employment rates, or weaker working-time enforcement.
Eurostat publishes this indicator via the EU Labour Force Survey (LFS), dataset LFSA_QOE_4A6R2. It measures the percentage of employed persons aged 15 and over who report usually working 49 or more hours per week in their main job. The EU Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC) limits average weekly hours to 48, making this indicator a proxy for potential non-compliance and a key input to occupational health and ESG assessments.