A recent study by Dr. Shamika Ravi, a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, reveals that Indians work an average of 42 hours per week, which translates to 422 minutes (7 hours) per day.
Based on data from the 2019 Time Use Survey by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the report titled "Time Spent on Employment-Related Activities in India: A Note" provides the latest insights into work hours and patterns across India
Key Findings: How Much Do Indians Work?
Urban Workers: 469 minutes (7.8 hours) per day. Rural Workers: 399 minutes (6.65 hours) per day. Government Employees: Work 45 minutes less on average compared to private sector employees
Work Hour Variations by State
Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli: More than 600 minutes (10+ hours) per day. Goa and Northeastern States: Less than 360 minutes (less than 6 hours). Delhi: 8.3 hours per day. Goa: 5.5 hours per day
Gender and Social Group Differences
Urban Women: Work 2 hours less than men daily. Rural Women: Work 1.8 hours less than men daily.
Scheduled Tribes (ST): Tend to work shorter hours than all other social categories. OBCs: Approach the national average.
Work Hours and Economic Growth
The analysis clearly shows the correlation between the number of working hours and the economic growth.
For every percent increase in work hours, NSDP increased by 1.7%
For larger states, the above percentage increase becomes even more potent and translates to a 3.7% increase in NSDP for each percent increase in work hours.
Gujarat Leads in 70-Hour Work Weeks Gujarat has the highest percentage (7.21%) of its population working over 70 hours weekly. Bihar has the lowest percentage (1.05%).
Key Observations from Dr. Ravi’s Report Indians work longer hours compared to workers in developed nations.
Urban private and public limited company employees have the longest work hours. Government employees work fewer hours than private-sector employees and the national average. Northeastern states, Assam, and Goa record the shortest work hours. Longer work hours strongly correlate with higher per capita GDP.
