BRITS are among the hardest grafters in Europe in terms of hours worked — with the Germans putting in the fewest.

We spend an average of 1,681 hours a year at the coalface, compared with Germans’ 1,356 hours.

But our dedication to getting the job done also means our work-life balance is among the poorest in Europe.

Almost 13 per cent of Brits work more than 50 hours a week on average, compared with barely half a per cent of the Dutch and one per cent of Swedes.

A report comparing 20 countries looked at several factors that contribute to a healthy work-life balance, including statutory leave available, and gave a score for overall happiness.

The UK came 16th with a happiness rating of 6.7 out of ten. But that still makes us happier than the US and Japan.

Denmark was top with 7.5, while South Korea — where they work an average of 2,024 hours a year — was the unhappiest nation with a score of 5.8.

Ankur Shah, founder of shoe brand Mahabis, which compiled the report, said the importance of downtime needed to be recognised more as it “can benefit individuals, businesses and society as a whole".