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Distance of Commute in a Lifetime

Ever been stuck in drivetime rush hour traffic on your way to work and thought about all the exciting places you could have been travelling to? We wanted to find out just how far people commute and what this equates to across their working lifetime. How many times could commuters theoretically travel around the world and back?

Our study investigated how many miles workers in over 110 countries around the world commute to and from work in their working lifetime. We combined employment admission age and statutory retirement age with days worked in a lifetime alongside distance of commute data to calculate how many times male and female workers in each country could have circumnavigated the globe.

Most shockingly, workers in Angola, the west African country, who work an average of 42 years in their lifetime, have an average commute that racks up to a staggering 433,124 miles, the same as travelling the world’s circumference just over 17 times.

It’s not just workers in Angola who are affected by long distance commutes, the United States emerged as having the second highest retirement age at 66 and a markedly long commute, placing the country 4th, meaning workers could have embarked on a round-the-world adventure 14 times in their working lifetime. Although UK workers benefit from a shorter lifetime commute than those in the USA, tallied at 193,942 miles, workers could have still, theoretically, seen the world nearly 8 times over, instead taking the monotonous journey to work and back everyday.

Australian workers will be disgruntled to learn that the “Lucky Country” ranked 13th worldwide where workers could have travelled around the world 10.5 times over in their career.

Lucile Michaut, head of GPS comments: “Our findings tap into a very real grudge of the commuter, which is thinking of better ways you could have spent your time. So many of us spend hours each week travelling, yet our destination is depressingly familiar and unexciting; the office. While most of us could not afford a round the world trip instead of working, it does remind us all that there is more to life than the daily grind and perhaps every now and then we should take time out to travel somewhere a little different.”

World Rank:

CountryAverage Working Lifespan (Years)Days Worked in a LifetimeDistance Travelled Over a Working Lifetime (Miles)Times Travelled Around the World
MalesFemalesMaleFemaleMaleFemaleAverageMaleFemaleAverage
Angola42421066810668433124.9433124.9433124.917.417.417.4
Trinidad and Tobago42421054210542361587.2361587.2361587.214.514.514.5
Guatemala42421058410584356188.2356188.2356188.214.314.314.3
United States of America48481204812048340176.5340176.5340176.513.713.713.7
Egypt42421024810248338258.1338258.1338258.113.613.613.6
Israel52491305212299343707.5323878.2333792.913.81313.4
Panama44391328811778330766.5293179.431197313.311.812.5
Japan47471156211562296136.5296136.5296136.511.911.911.9
China, Hong Kong SAR4747116091160929185829185829185811.711.711.7
South Africa42421054210542288876.7288876.7288876.711.611.611.6
Canada47471193811938266006.9266006.9266006.910.710.710.7
Dominican Republic47421175010500277150.1247666.1262408.111.11010.5
Australia47471193811938261407.7261407.7261407.710.510.510.5
Lebanon4646114541145426134326134326134310.510.510.5
Jordan4237104169176277010.2244032.8260521.511.19.810.5
Iran (Islamic Republic of)42371230610841276653.7243718.7260186.211.19.810.5
Belgium47471189111891254172.1254172.1254172.110.210.210.2
Costa Rica47471198511985248883.1248883.1248883.1101010
Nepal40401020010200247181.4247181.4247181.49.99.99.9
Italy48441219211176252878.7231805.5242342.110.29.39.7
Kuwait323280008000241290.8241290.8241290.89.79.79.7
Turkey42401062610120245884.1234175.3240029.79.99.49.7
Oman4237106269361248657.2219055.2233856.2108.89.4
Uruguay42421071010710232920.9232920.9232920.99.49.49.4
Mexico47471184411844229175.4229175.4229175.49.29.29.2
Republic of Korea424210500105002267882267882267889.19.19.1
Kenya47471184411844222699222699222699999
Bangladesh47441179711044224747.4210401.8217574.698.58.7
Spain47471184411844215633.9215633.9215633.98.78.78.7
Saudi Arabia4237105849324228996.9201735.4215366.19.28.18.7
Qatar4237104589213225880.8198990.3212435.59.188.5
Slovenia45431147510965217186.9207534.1212360.58.78.38.5
Malaysia373792139213212042.6212042.6212042.68.58.58.5
Luxembourg47471193811938206960.2206960.2206960.28.38.38.3
Zimbabwe42421058410584206110.4206110.4206110.48.38.38.3
Morocco42421050010500203430.7203430.7203430.78.28.28.2
China4237104589213211844.5186624.9199234.78.57.58
Cambodia373788438843197812.2197812.2197812.2888
Bahrain4237104589213208205.5183419.1195812.38.47.47.9
Slovakia44421100010500199857.8190773.3195315.587.77.9
United Kingdom47431198510965202562185322.7193942.38.17.57.8
Brazil47421189110626204224.3182498.3193361.38.27.37.8
Venezuela4237103749139205372.8180923.7193148.38.37.37.8
Sweden47471189111891189299.1189299.1189299.17.67.67.6
Pakistan4237105849324196640.1173230.5184935.37.977.4
TYFR Macedonia46441154611044188111.4179932.7184022.17.67.27.4
Portugal47471198511985182752.6182752.6182752.67.37.37.3
Russian Federation4237103749139192093.9169225.5180659.77.76.87.3
Libya47421193810668190344170094.6180219.37.76.87.2
Djibouti42421079410794178810.7178810.7178810.77.27.27.2
Ireland47471184411844178394.7178394.7178394.77.27.27.2
Germany47471193811938177881.9177881.9177881.97.27.27.2
Finland47471193811938177436.8177436.8177436.87.17.17.1
Fiji373793619361174499.6174499.6174499.6777
Singapore373791769176171279.1171279.1171279.16.96.96.9
Argentina47421151510290180880.6161638171259.37.36.56.9
New Zealand47471179711797170649.7170649.7170649.76.96.96.9
France42421058410584169939.1169939.1169939.16.86.86.8
Indonesia373790659065168981.8168981.8168981.86.86.86.8
Greece47471179711797164932.1164932.1164932.16.66.66.6
Switzerland47461226712006166624.7163079.5164852.16.76.66.6
Norway49491239712397164693.1164693.1164693.16.66.66.6
Georgia47421165610416173824.8155332.8164578.876.26.6
Austria47421179710542172115.8153805.6162960.76.96.26.6
Lesotho52521310413104162848.9162848.9162848.96.56.56.5
Thailand373789548954162684.2162684.2162684.26.56.56.5
Sri Lanka373289547744172587.7149265160926.46.966.5
Denmark47471189111891158709.8158709.8158709.86.46.46.4
India373784368436158619.5158619.5158619.56.46.46.4
Tunisia42421058410584155470.6155470.6155470.66.36.36.3
Poland47421193810668161414.1144242.4152828.26.55.86.1
Peru47471179711797151151.1151151.1151151.16.16.16.1
Philippines42421020610206147000.9147000.9147000.95.95.95.9
Chile47421179710542153936.6137560.4145748.56.25.55.9
Barbados48481204812048144634.9144634.9144634.95.85.85.8
Nigeria323279687968144571.7144571.7144571.75.85.85.8
Czech Republic44431104410793144934.3141640.4143287.45.85.75.8
Hungary45451129511295141069.5141069.5141069.55.75.75.7
Azerbaijan4541108009840146295.6133291.5139793.65.95.45.6
Iceland49491215212152139540.6139540.6139540.65.65.65.6
Honduras47421179710542146606.3131009.9138808.15.95.35.6
Ecuador42421050010500132967.2132967.2132967.25.35.35.3
Paraguay424210374103741324031324031324035.35.35.3
Ukraine4238104169424137728.4124611.4131169.95.555.3
Iraq4237105849324139423.7122825.7131124.75.64.95.3
Bahamas47471179711797129746.6129746.6129746.65.25.25.2
Belarus4237106269361135619.2119474.1127546.65.54.85.1
Colombia4237102068991135459119332.9127395.95.44.85.1
Armenia45451129511295126611.7126611.7126611.75.15.15.1
Croatia47421179710542133118.5118957126037.75.44.85.1
Republic of Moldova4439109569711133431.7118269125850.45.44.85.1
Zambia373792879287115413.4115413.4115413.44.64.64.6
Serbia47421189110626121322.8108416.1114869.54.94.44.6
Uganda373792509250112079.8112079.8112079.84.54.54.5
Lithuania45421134010584113587.1106014.6109800.94.64.34.4
Latvia44441091210912109028.8109028.8109028.84.44.44.4
Bulgaria45421116010416108316.9101095.8104706.34.44.14.2
Romania46411163810373107171.195522101346.54.33.84.1
Bolivia404099209920986249862498624444
Namibia4242105001050097865.997865.997865.93.93.93.9
Viet Nam4237103749139103653.391313.697483.54.23.73.9
Malta4342107501050094451.59225593353.23.83.73.8
Cameroon4242106261062692437.692437.692437.63.73.73.7
Cyprus4747117031170390026.290026.290026.23.63.63.6
Kazakhstan454011070984087633.177896.182764.63.53.13.3
United Republic of Tanzania4242104161041680902.580902.580902.53.33.33.3
Estonia4543113401083678073.574603.676338.63.133.1
Bosnia and Herzegovina4747120321203276258.676258.676258.63.13.13.1
Kyrgyzstan4540113851012071450.563511.6674812.92.62.7
Syrian Arab Republic423710584932471553.363035.167294.22.92.52.7
Albania4742119381066866761.359659.163210.22.72.42.5
Mongolia423710626936162857.655374.559116.12.52.22.4
El Salvador423710458921356275.349575.852925.52.322.1
Mozambiqu423710584932454059.647623.950841.72.21.92
Montenegro474211703104584944944188.446818.721.81.9
Jamaica4742118911062647583.442521.345052.31.91.71.8
Cuba4742119381066837089.633143.935116.81.51.31.4
Ethiopia424210500105003262232622326221.31.31.3
Sources: The United Nations World Population Ageing Report 2015, International Labour Organisation – Conventions and Recommendations on Child Labour & Numbeo

Our vehicle tracking expert recommends that businesses who operate car fringe benefits for their employees should consider implementing a GPS car tracker in each of their vehicles to monitor distances against fuel usage to ensure cost savings across the business.