In 2023, the average expected working life in the European Union was 36.9 years, although this figure varied significantly across member states, according to Eurostat data.
Some countries exceeded the 40-year mark, with the highest averages recorded in the Netherlands (43.7 years), Sweden (43.1 years), and Denmark (41.3 years). In contrast, the shortest working lives were found in Romania (32.2 years), Italy (32.9 years), and Croatia (34 years).
For men, the average expected working life in the EU was 39 years. The longest averages were in the Netherlands (45.7 years), Sweden (44.1 years), Denmark and Ireland (both 42.8 years), while the shortest were in Croatia (35.4 years) and both Bulgaria and Romania (35.6 years).
Women in the EU had an average working life expectancy of 34.7 years. The longest averages were recorded in Sweden (41.9 years), followed by the Netherlands and Estonia (both 41.5 years). The shortest were in Italy (28.3 years), Romania (28.5 years), and Greece (30.6 years).
Since 2013, the average expected working life in the EU had been steadily increasing. It dropped for the first time in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from 34.7 years in 2013 to 35.9 years in 2019, and then to 35.6 years in 2020. By 2021, the average returned to pre-pandemic levels.