The Danes are often confused with the Dutch – especially by the fourth-largest newspaper in the United States – and now there is another area in which they are bound to get mixed up. 

 

A new analysis by CNN Money shows that the two countries are at the top of all industrialised nations when it comes to the fewest number of hours worked each week. In this case, the Dutch bested the Danes by working an average of just 29 hours a week compared to the average 33 hours a week in Denmark. 

 

Of course, Denmark's number two ranking comes as little surprise, as the country has already topped the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's work-life balance study, and a similar study on working hours in 2011 also put Denmark in second place. In that instance, the Danes came behind the Belgians, a group that as far as we know has not been used interchangeably with the Danes by the LA Times. And earlier this year, newly-adjusted figures from Statistics Denmark showed that Danes were working about three hours less per week than previously thought. 

 

CNN Money pointed to the Danish work culture and it's 'flexicurity' model as reasons for the low hours. 

 

"Flexible work schedules are common and paid vacation time is ample," the analysis states.

 

Behind the Dutch and the Danes were the Norwegians, who also put in an average of 33 hours per week. Rounding out the top five for the world's shortest work weeks were Ireland and Germany. 

 

On the flip side of the equation, CNN Money found that Mexicans work the longest work weeks, clocking in at an average of 45 hours. The next hardest working nationalities were the Chileans and the Koreans. 

 

So be sure to remind any confused people out there that the Danes aren't the least hard-working bunch. That would be the Dutch. You know, the ones who drew those Mohammed cartoons and … oh, wait, never mind.

 

See CNN Money's full list here.