Expected duration of working life of people at 37.1 years

In 2018, the expected duration of working life of people in the EU (i.e. the number of years that 15-year-olds are expected to work in their life) was 36.2 years, according to Eurostat, the statistical service of the EU.

This is 0.3 years longer than in 2017 and 3.3 years longer than in 2000.

In Cyprus the expected duration is 37.1 (up from 36.3 years in 2017) and in Greece 32.9 (up from 32.7 in 2017).

Men are expected to work longer than women: on average, the expected working life for men is 38.6 years and for women 33.7.

The expected duration of working life varied among Member States, ranging from 31.8 years in Italy, 32.4 in Croatia and 32.9 in Greece, to 39.9 years in Denmark, 40.5 in the Netherlands and 41.9 in Sweden.