Slovenians apparently are Europe’s busiest people, while Germans and Norwegians are among the biggest loafers, according to a “time use” survey of 10 countries released Tuesday.
Using data collected between 1998 and 2002 for employed men and women, the European Union statistics office found sleep consumed the greatest part of the day for everyone.
Swedish men get the least — 7 hours, 52 minutes — and French women the most — 8 hours, 38 minutes.
French women, though, may be exhausted from doing so much housework on top of their outside jobs. The survey found they spend 90 percent more time each day on domestic work than their male counterparts, the biggest spread in the Eurostat results.
Adding together domestic and “gainful” work, Slovenes come out the most industrious, with women busy 8 hours, 47 minutes each day and men 7 hours, 44 minutes.
Hungarian, Estonian and French women were not far behind. Among men, Swedes, Britons and the French trailed by only a few minutes.
German men and women spent the least amount of time working, about 7 hours each day.
Norwegians have the most free time — about 5 and a half hours — but they may not be having the most fun.
The French spend nearly 3 hours daily — easily the most of any country — on “meals and personal care,” a category that included not only eating and drinking but “sexual activities.”
The 10 countries in the survey were: Belgium, Germany, Estonia, France, Hungary, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden, Britain and Norway.
