Key facts
- Remote work rates in Europe vary significantly, with Finland and Ireland leading and Romania and Bulgaria at the bottom.
- In 2025, 20.5% of Finnish workers and 19.2% of Irish workers usually worked from home.
- In contrast, only 1.3% of Romanian workers and 1.4% of Bulgarian workers usually worked from home.
- The EU average for workers usually working from home was 8.8% in 2025.
- Key drivers for these disparities include a country's economic structure, workplace culture, digital infrastructure, and legislation.
Remote work adoption varies dramatically across Europe, with Finland and Ireland reporting the highest rates and Romania and Bulgaria the lowest, according to Eurostat data for 2025.
In Finland, 20.5% of workers usually worked from home, while in Romania, the figure was just 1.3%. The EU average stood at 8.8%. This disparity highlights different approaches to remote work across the continent.
Factors contributing to these differences include a country's economic structure, with nations rich in ICT, finance, and professional services showing higher rates. Conversely, countries with large manufacturing, agriculture, or tourism sectors tend to have lower remote work adoption.
Workplace culture also plays a significant role. Regions with greater autonomy and trust tend to embrace remote work more readily than those with stronger norms of in-person supervision. Additionally, worker demand for flexibility and time savings from reduced commuting further influences adoption rates.
Digital infrastructure, such as reliable internet access, and legislation that grants workers the right to request remote work, are also identified as catalysts for increased remote working. The UK, though not included in Eurostat data, is suggested to have a high rate of remote work based on separate research.