When it comes to work, not all countries take the same approach. Some have more vacation days, some tend to work shorter hours, and others just retire at a younger age. So, whether you are a workaholic or prefer easy living, this map/graph pair will point you toward your like-minded peers.

The data comprise three variables for each country: average annual hours spent working per person, average effective retirement age, and average life expectancy. Because the data were compiled from OECD databases, values were available for only a relatively small number of countries (33). The graph plots retirement age against annual hours worked, and the color scale shows years spent in retirement (life expectancy – retirement age). The choropleth map shows a work score, which is a normalization of two variables: years in retirement and annual hours worked. I designed this algorithm such that the median country has a value of approximately 0, with positive numbers indicating less work, and negative representing more work.

The hardest working countries by far are Mexico, South Korea, and Chile. Countries with more relaxed attitudes toward working are concentrated in Western Europe, with France leading the way, followed by Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium. The United States, at a work score of -0.1, is slightly harder working than the median.

Data sources: http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DatasetCode=ANHRS

http://www.oecd.org/els/emp/ageingandemploymentpolicies-statisticsonaverageeffectiveageofretirement.htm