Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

This is how long young Europeans will need to work before they can retire

15-year- olds can expect to work an average number of years depending on where in Europe they live. Image: Tim van der Kuip/Unsplash

Niall McCarthy
Data Journalist, Statista
  • A 15-year-old can now expect to work for 36.2 years, on average, in the European Union
  • That's 3.3 years longer than in 2000 - but not as long as Norwegians and Swiss people will be working

Eurostat have released an interesting forecast about how long a person can expect to be active in the European labour market during his or her life. The data is measured in years and it's based on someone who was 15-years-old in 2018. On average, the expected duration of working life in the European Union was 36.2 years - 3.3 years longer than in 2000. In individual member states, it ranges from 31.8 years in Italy to 41.9 years in Sweden.

The data also includes several countries outside the EU and their figures are diverse. In Turkey for example, a 15-year-old can expect a working life of 29.4 years. In Iceland, however, a 15-year-old can expect to work for far longer - 46.3 years in total. Elsewhere, the duration of work is estimated at 42.7 years in Switzerland and 39.6 years in Norway.

Estimated duration of working life for a 15-year-old in 2018 (years).
In the EU, a 15-year-old can expect to work for 36.2 years, on average. Image: Statista
Have you read?
Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

Education, Gender and Work

Related topics:
Equity, Diversity and InclusionFinancial and Monetary SystemsJobs and the Future of WorkYouth Perspectives
Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Education, Gender and Work is affecting economies, industries and global issues
World Economic Forum logo

Forum Stories newsletter

Bringing you weekly curated insights and analysis on the global issues that matter.

Subscribe today

3:02

How do we make the green transition fair for everyone?

Investing in a more age-inclusive workforce can help us navigate demographic shifts

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum