A global study on working conditions shows significant differences in the prevalence of remote work across various European countries. According to the latest data, the highest level of working from home is recorded in the United Kingdom, while the lowest is in Greece. Experts attribute these discrepancies to cultural characteristics, economic structures, and the duration of quarantine restrictions in the respective countries.
This is reported by Finway
Factors Influencing the Popularity of Remote Work
The fourth wave of the survey, conducted from November 2024 to February 2025, covered employees aged 20 to 64 with a full higher education and full employment. On average, people worldwide work remotely 1.2 days a week, but this figure varies significantly by country: from 0.5 days in South Korea to 1.9 days in Canada.
Dr. Jevat Giray Aksoy, an economics lecturer at King’s College London, emphasizes that the primary reason for such differences is the level of individualism in society — the tendency to value personal autonomy, independence, and self-reliance over collective goals or control.
“Among other factors are the severity and duration of the COVID-19 quarantine, population density, and the industrial structure of each economy.”
Additionally, countries with more developed sectors that allow for remote work (such as IT or finance) have greater opportunities for implementing hybrid models. Furthermore, densely populated states see a higher demand for remote work, partly due to the long commute times to the office.
Ranking of European Countries by Frequency of Working from Home
The United Kingdom has emerged as the leader among 18 European countries in terms of remote work levels: local specialists work from home an average of 1.8 days a week. In the global ranking, the country secured second place, only behind Canada.
Experts believe that the high rate in the United Kingdom is driven by the influence of cultural individualism, particularly strict and prolonged quarantine restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the structure of the labor market, which is oriented towards finance, consulting, and media. In recent years, British workers have developed a strong desire to work remotely 2–3 days a week. Companies that ignore these expectations risk losing qualified professionals.
In contrast, Greece has the lowest level of remote work in Europe: employees work from home only 0.6 days a week. This is linked to a low level of individualism and an economy focused on tourism, retail, and hospitality, which require the physical presence of staff.
Overall, the global level of remote work has decreased from 1.6 days a week in 2022 to 1.33 days in 2023, and in 2024 and 2025, this figure stabilized at 1.27 days a week. The authors of the study note that the frequency of remote work has changed little since 2023, indicating a new balance between office and remote work has been achieved.