Are Your Vacation Days Normal?

Enter your annual paid vacation days and see how the world compares.

15days / year
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Where You Stand

Country Comparison

Source: OECD, International Labour Organization. Statutory minimum + common practice.

Why These Differences?

🇫🇷 Why does France get so much vacation?

French labor law guarantees 5 weeks (25 days) of paid leave minimum, plus up to 11 public holidays. Work-life balance is a cultural priority — the French even have a legal right to disconnect from work emails after hours.

🇺🇸 Why does the US get so little?

The United States is the only developed nation with no federally mandated paid vacation. It is entirely up to employers. The average is about 10-15 days, but a quarter of private sector workers get zero.

🇯🇵 Why does Japan have days but not use them?

Japan mandates 10-20 days depending on tenure, but workers historically use only half. A culture of overwork, loyalty to the team, and fear of burdening colleagues leads to presenteeism.

🇧🇷 Why does Brazil have 30 days?

Brazilian labor law guarantees 30 calendar days of paid vacation after one year, making it one of the most generous in the world. Workers also receive a vacation bonus — an extra third of their monthly salary.

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Vacation Days Around the World: Who Gets to Rest?

The Global Vacation Gap

Paid vacation is one of the starkest examples of how differently countries treat workers. French and Austrian workers are legally guaranteed 25 days. Brazilians get 30. Americans have zero federal mandate — the only wealthy country in the world with no legal requirement for paid leave. The difference isn't just economic; it reflects profoundly different ideas about what work is for.

The EU mandates at least 4 weeks for all member states, but most countries exceed this floor substantially. Add public holidays, and many Europeans enjoy 35-40 total days off per year. Compare that to the US average of around 11 days, or Japan, where legal entitlements are generous but cultural pressure means many workers use only half.

The American Exception

The absence of federal vacation law in the US is one of the most debated labor policy facts globally. About 23% of private-sector American workers have no paid vacation at all. Among those who do, studies consistently show that Americans leave an average of 5-6 days unused each year.

The underlying reasons are structural and cultural: a gig economy that excludes millions from benefits, workplace cultures that treat visible busyness as virtue, and in many cases real economic anxiety — taking vacation feels financially risky when sick leave, health insurance, and retirement savings aren't guaranteed.

Does More Vacation Hurt the Economy?

The data strongly suggests no. Germany and the Netherlands combine the most generous vacation policies in the world with some of the highest per-capita GDPs and productivity rates. Denmark and Norway — countries where workers average 5-6 weeks off — rank among the most economically competitive nations globally.

The mechanism isn't complicated: rested workers make fewer errors, exhibit higher creativity, take fewer sick days, and stay with employers longer. The cost of burnout — measured in healthcare, turnover, and productivity loss — consistently exceeds the cost of vacation time.

Why Some Countries Are So Generous

Strong labor unions, post-war labor agreements, and political cultures that view leisure as a right rather than a reward explain Europe's generous vacation norms. In Scandinavia, the concept of 'friluftsliv' — outdoor life as essential to wellbeing — gives vacation a quasi-philosophical justification.

Brazil's 30-day mandate, combined by law with a 33% vacation bonus, comes from the Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho (CLT), a 1943 labor code that has proved remarkably durable. Kuwait and the UAE are among the most generous globally, reflecting Gulf labor laws designed to attract and retain skilled workers.

Annual Vacation Days by Country

RankCountryDays/YearSource
1🇰🇼 KW30 daysILO
2🇧🇷 BR30 daysILO
3🇦🇪 AE30 daysILO
4🇬🇧 GB28 daysILO
5🇷🇺 RU28 daysILO
6🇮🇳 IN26 daysILO
7🇫🇷 FR25 daysILO
8🇦🇹 AT25 daysILO
9🇫🇮 FI25 daysILO
10🇸🇪 SE25 daysILO
11🇩🇰 DK25 daysILO
12🇳🇴 NO25 daysILO
13🇩🇪 DE24 daysILO
14🇪🇸 ES22 daysILO
15🇵🇹 PT22 daysILO
16🇪🇬 EG21 daysILO
17🇸🇦 SA21 daysILO
18🇳🇱 NL20 daysILO
19🇮🇹 IT20 daysILO
20🇦🇺 AU20 daysILO
21🇳🇿 NZ20 daysILO
22🇿🇦 ZA15 daysILO
23🇰🇷 KR15 daysILO
24🇹🇷 TR14 daysILO
25🇦🇷 AR14 daysILO
26🇲🇽 MX12 daysILO
27🇺🇸 US11 daysILO
28🇨🇦 CA10 daysILO
29🇨🇳 CN10 daysILO
30🇯🇵 JP10 daysILO

Source: OECD, International Labour Organization. Statutory minimum + common practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the global average for vacation days?
Around 18 paid days per year, but this varies enormously from 0 mandatory days in the US to 30+ in France and Brazil. The real picture also depends on whether public holidays are counted separately.
Which country has the most vacation days?
France, Austria, and Brazil are consistently among the most generous, with 25-30 mandatory days plus public holidays. Kuwait and the UAE also rank very high globally.
Why does the US have no mandatory vacation?
It reflects a political tradition that prioritizes employer flexibility over government mandates. Despite decades of advocacy, federal paid leave legislation has repeatedly failed to pass Congress.
Does taking vacation improve productivity?
Research consistently shows yes. Rested workers have better focus, fewer errors, higher creativity, and better health. The correlation between generous vacation policies and high economic output is robust across countries.
Do people actually use all their vacation days?
In many countries, no. Japanese workers use roughly half their entitlements. Americans leave 5-6 days unused annually. Europeans tend to use most or all of theirs — cultural attitudes about taking time off differ substantially.
Is vacation pay standard everywhere?
No. Some countries pay vacation at regular rate, others require a 'vacation bonus' (Brazil mandates +33%). The US has no federal requirement, so vacation pay is entirely at employer discretion.
How much vacation time is enough?
Research suggests that mental and physical recovery from work stress requires at least 8-10 consecutive days for full effect. Short breaks help but don't produce the same restoration as genuine extended time off.
Can vacation days be carried over or cashed out?
This varies significantly by country and employer. Some European countries require workers to take all leave within the year. Others allow rollover. Cash-out policies are common in some countries and banned in others to protect the health benefits of actual rest.