How Much Time Off Do You Get? It Depends Where You Work

11 August 2026

Everybody loves a holiday. We work hard during the year, and we look forward to taking annual leave. But how much time off we get - and whether we are paid during this time - very much depends on where we work.

Annual leave - defined here as statutory paid leave - varies from country to country. According to the WageIndicator Foundation / Centre for Labour Research Labour Rights Index, on the labour laws of 145 countries:

• 91 countries provide more than three working weeks of annual leave.
• 11 countries have three working weeks of annual leave.
• 41 countries stipulate less than three working weeks of annual leave.
• 2 countries have no statutory provision for annual leave.*

* As of January 2024

Most EU countries, the Middle East, North Africa and large countries such as Russia, India and Australia, offer more than three working weeks of annual leave. In fact, almost all EU countries guarantee at least 20 working days, because the EU Working Time Directive sets a minimum of four weeks' paid annual leave, and some go up to as much as 22 to 30 working days leave.

Taking the most time off

The countries offering the most statutory annual leave - in other words, where you can be sure to enjoy time off for a long period, at full pay, include:

• Finland: Leave can be up to 30 days (or five weeks total) once employment has lasted a full year.
• Austria: Up to 30 working days of annual leave (25 days for employees working five days a week), increasing to 36 working days (6 weeks) after 25 years of service with the same employer.
• Kuwait: 30 working days of paid annual leave per year, after at least nine months of continuous service during first year of employment.
• France: 25 paid weekdays (or 30 working days including Saturdays) of annual leave per year.
• Brazil: A baseline of 30 calendar days of paid annual leave.

In the middle - still time for a holiday

• South Africa: 21 consecutive days of annual leave (5 work days per five day week).
• Mexico: Minimum of 12 paid vacation days after first year of service, increasing with years of continuous service.
• Indonesia: Minimum of 12 days of paid annual leave after one year of continuous service.

The least statutory time off

By comparison, several countries offer very little or no paid time off in their statutory laws, including:

• China: Paid annual leave in China ranges from five to 15 days, determined by an employee's total cumulative work experience.
• Nigeria: six paid days off per year after one year of service.
• Thailand: Six working days of paid annual leave per year after one full year of working.
• United States of America: Zero mandated paid or unpaid annual leave under federal law (left entirely to employer discretion or state policy).

Additions to time off

While statutory leave days vary from country to country - meaning time off very much depends on where you work - most countries also offer paid public holidays, which can add to one’s holiday period. According to the Labour Rights Index, more than 100 countries out of 145 offer paid public holidays, ranging from 10 to 16 days per country.

In addition, although countries like the United States of America offer zero paid public holidays on a federal, statutory basis, annual leave can be and is granted through employer policies, individual employment contracts, and Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).

The time off baseline for millions of workers

Time off is more than just a chance to relax. Paid annual leave gives workers time to rest, spend time with family, recover from illness and return to work refreshed. Yet the amount of leave people receive varies dramatically around the world, depending largely on the labour laws of the country where they work. While many employers provide more generous leave than the legal minimum, statutory annual leave sets the baseline for millions of workers.