Nicosia: In 2024, the expected average duration of working life for individuals aged 15 and over in the European Union was 37.2 years, with Cyprus surpassing this average at 39 years, Eurostat, the EU’s statistical service, revealed in a press release on Friday. This statistic places Cyprus among the countries with a notably longer expected working life, reflecting its labor market dynamics.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the expected average duration of working life varied significantly across EU member states. In six countries, the average duration was 40 years or longer, with the Netherlands leading at 43.8 years, followed by Sweden at 43.0 years, and Denmark at 42.5 years. Meanwhile, countries with the shortest expected durations included Romania at 32.7 years, Italy at 32.8 years, and Croatia, Greece, and Bulgaria each at 34.8 years.
For men, the average expected working life in the EU was 39.2 years. The Netherlands reported the longest duration for men at 45.7 years, followed by Denmark at 44.2 years and Sweden at 40.0 years. Conversely, Romania, Croatia, and Bulgaria had the shortest durations for men, averaging 35.9 and 36.0 years, respectively.
Regarding women, the EU’s average expected working life was 35.0 years. Estonia led with the longest average duration for women at 42.2 years, followed by Sweden at 42.0 years and the Netherlands at 41.8 years. Italy, Romania, and Greece reported the shortest durations for women, at 28.2, 29.2, and 31.1 years, respectively.
Over the past decade, the EU has seen a rise in the expected average duration of working life, increasing by 2.4 years from 34.8 to the current 37.2 years, indicating a trend towards longer participation in the workforce.