Stuck in the slow lane: Typical commute times across the globe revealed

ByDr. Tim Sandle
DIGITAL JOURNAL
July 1, 2024

Farmers have been blocking roads including the A64 motorway in the southwest - Copyright AFP Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV

Denmark is at the top of the list for countries with the shortest commute time, with an average commute of only 17 minutes, according to a new assessment of work-related travel.

This is based on data crunched by AHTI Games, who researched daily commute times across the globe to find out which countries offer the shortest commute lengths. Aside from the commute length, the research also focuses on short work week hours and average monthly earnings above $2,000 (after tax), with the results normalised by expressing the salary in U.S. dollars.

The summarised results reveal:

N	Country	Average Commute Time (minutes)	Average Work Week Hours	Average Monthly Salary (USD)
1	Denmark	17	34	$3,500
2	Sweden	20	35	$2,570
3	Switzerland	24	35	$6,150
4	Norway	25	34	$3,250
5	France	25	35	$2,430
6	United States	26	37	$4,670
7	Austria	27	33	$2,460
8	Netherlands	28	30	$3,400
9	Luxembourg	29	37	$4,900
10	Germany	40	35	$2,950

As well as a shortened commute time, the Danish workforce enjoys a high monthly salary with a standard working week averaging 34 hours.

Sweden follows closely in second in terms of commuting efficiency. It has a daily commute of 20 minutes. Although working an hour more per week compared to Denmark, the Swedish population earn slightly less, with a monthly average of 2,570.

Switzerland claims the third spot, where the average journey to work takes 24 minutes. The Swiss enjoy the highest monthly salary on the list, amounting to $6,150 while working a 35-hour week like Sweden.

Ranked fourth is Norway, where citizens usually spend 25 minutes commuting. With a 34-hour workweek, which is one hour less than the Swedes, they take home a lower average monthly salary.

Following closely in the fifth is France, where people take an average of 25 minutes to get to work, which is the same as in Norway. However, the French work slightly longer, 35 hours per week, and earn an average of $2,430 monthly.

The U.S. is in sixth place and has an average commute of 26 minutes to work. Americans work 37 hours a week, which is two hours more than in Denmark. In exchange, they earn an impressive monthly average of $4,670.

Just behind at seventh, Austria has an average of 27 minutes, slightly longer than the U.S. Austrians work a shorter 33-hour workweek, four hours fewer than Americans, and earn a lower average monthly salary.

The Netherlands ranks eighth, with an average commuting time of 28 minutes and the shortest work week of 30 hours. The Dutch earn more than the Austrians, even though they work 4 hours less.

Luxembourg is ranked ninth in terms of commuting time, with residents spending an average of 29 minutes traveling to work. Despite having a 37-hour workweek, they work the same hours as Americans, receiving a significantly higher monthly salary of $4,900.

Germany rounds out the top 10, with an average commute of 40 minutes. This is balanced by a 35-hour workweek and a monthly salary of $2,953.

The results show considerable variance across the countries, in terms of both time and with the remuneration offered.