Survey: Britain has the most remote workers in Europe, Greece has the fewest. Hereʼs why

The Global Working Conditions Survey shows that the prevalence of working from home varies significantly across Europe, with the highest prevalence in the UK and the lowest in Greece, reflecting cultural and economic factors.

Euronews writes about this.

The study found that remote work trends have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic. The fourth wave of the survey was conducted from November 2024 to February 2025. It covers workers aged 20 to 64 who have completed higher education and work full-time.

The global average of teleworking is 1.2 days per week. However, the figures vary significantly across the 40 countries surveyed, from just 0.5 days per week in South Korea to 1.9 days per week in Canada.

According to Dr. Cevat Giray Aksoy, associate professor of economics at Kingʼs College London, the main reason for this lies in the level of cultural individualism — a trait that emphasizes personal autonomy, self-reliance and independence over collective goals or from close supervision. Other factors include the severity and duration of COVID-19 lockdowns, population density and the industrial structure of each economy.

For example, countries with a higher proportion of remote-working sectors, such as IT and finance, are better able to support hybrid models. Densely populated countries also often see higher levels of teleworking, partly due to longer commute times.

The UK has the highest level of teleworking among 18 European countries, with people working from home an average of 1.8 days per week. Overall, the UK came in second out of 40 countries in the study, behind only Canada.

Aksoy said the UK’s performance is driven by cultural individualism, particularly the long and severe lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, and an economy where the labour market is concentrated in the finance, consulting and media sectors. In recent years, British workers have developed a strong desire to work from home 2-3 days a week. Companies that ignore these expectations may face serious difficulties in attracting and retaining skilled workers.

Greece, on the other hand, has the lowest rate of working from home in Europe, with only 0.6 days of teleworking per week. Greece has low rates of individualism, and its economy relies on tourism, retail, and hospitality—sectors that require physical presence.

The overall level of working from home declined globally from an average of 1.6 days per week in 2022 to 1.33 days in 2023. It fell to 1.27 days in 2024 and 2025. The study authors concluded that the level of remote work has almost stabilized since 2023.

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