In 2023, the expected average duration of working life for 15-year-olds in Cyprus was 39 years, exceeding the EU average of 36.9 years, according to data published by Eurostat, the statistical service of the EU.

The duration of working life exceeded 40 years in some countries. The highest durations were recorded in the Netherlands (43.7 years), Sweden (43.1 years), and Denmark (41.3 years).

In contrast, the lowest working life durations were found in Romania (32.2 years), Italy (32.9 years), and Croatia (34.0 years).

The data also indicated that, on average, men had longer working lives than women across the EU in 2023.

For men, the expected duration of working life was 39.0 years on average in the EU, with the longest durations recorded in the Netherlands (45.7 years), Sweden (44.1 years), and Denmark and Ireland (both 42.8 years). The shortest durations were in Croatia (35.4 years), and Bulgaria and Romania (both 35.6 years).

For women, the average duration of working life in the EU was 34.7 years, with the longest durations in Sweden (41.9 years), followed by the Netherlands and Estonia (both 41.5 years). The shortest durations were in Italy (28.3 years), Romania (28.5 years), and Greece (30.6 years).

In Cyprus, the average duration of working life for men stood at 41.6 years and for women at 36.3 years in 2023.

Since 2013, the expected average duration of working life has steadily increased in the EU. It declined for the first time in 2020 due to the COVID-19 health crisis (from 34.7 years in 2013 to 35.9 years in 2019, then down to 35.6 years in 2020). In 2021, it returned to its pre-pandemic level.

In Cyprus, the expected average duration of working life was 36.3 years in 2013, increased to 36.7 in 2014, but then gradually dropped until 2016 (36.0 years) before rising again to 37.4 years in 2019. In 2020, a drop similar to the rest of the EU was recorded (37.1 years). However, the duration increased beyond pre-pandemic levels in 2021 (37.7 years) and has continued to rise since.