For workers around the globe, paid vacation is well-deserved time off, an opportunity to unplug from the daily grind, recharge the batteries, travel, and rest, and most countries mandate a certain number of paid vacation days – or statutory paid leave – annually.
That means the minimum number of days off employers are required by law to give their workers for vacation or other personal uses. It does not include paid sick days, which are also widely mandated. Statutory paid leave is in addition to paid public holidays, also commonplace in most of the world. (These are the countries with the most paid vacation.)
Some 23 countries mandate 30 days of annual paid leave, independent of paid holidays. Counting paid leave or vacation and paid holidays together, the most generous country is Iran, with a total of 53 paid days off. (The small European nation of San Marino comes in second, with a total of 46.) If all this is a foreign concept to you, that’s because in the U.S. it’s literally a foreign concept.
The United States is the only developed country on earth with zero days of statutory paid leave, sharing that dubious honor with only the tiny Pacific island nations of Nauru, Kiribati, and the Federated States of Micronesia. It also observes one of the smallest number of public holidays – just 10 per year, tying it with Nauru (both finish just above Micronesia, with nine). And except in the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, employers are not legally required to give employees those days off, paid or otherwise – though most do.
To compile a list of the countries with the fewest vacation days, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a study by Resume.io, a résumé-building site. The company reviewed data on laws governing annual statutory paid leave and annual paid public holidays in more than 200 countries. We ranked those offering fewer than 15 mandatory paid leave days in descending order, based only on paid leave, not on paid public holidays. Information on gross domestic product per capita and population comes from the World Bank and is for 2021.
57. Argentina (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 14
> Annual public holidays: 16
> GDP per capita: $10,636 — #81 out of 206 countries
> Population: 45.8 million
56. Jordan (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 14
> Annual public holidays: 16
> GDP per capita: $4,103 — #132 out of 206 countries
> Population: 11.1 million
55. Sri Lanka (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 14
> Annual public holidays: 16
> GDP per capita: $4,014 — #134 out of 206 countries
> Population: 22.2 million
54. Pakistan (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 14
> Annual public holidays: 14
> GDP per capita: $1,505 — #175 out of 206 countries
> Population: 231.4 million
53. Turkiye (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 14
> Annual public holidays: 14
> GDP per capita: $9,661 — #86 out of 206 countries
> Population: 84.5 million
52. Dominican Republic (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 14
> Annual public holidays: 13
> GDP per capita: $8,477 — #95 out of 206 countries
> Population: 11.1 million
51. Saint Kitts and Nevis (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 14
> Annual public holidays: 13
> GDP per capita: $18,083 — #61 out of 206 countries
> Population: 47,610
50. Dominica (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 14
> Annual public holidays: 12
> GDP per capita: $7,653 — #96 out of 206 countries
> Population: 72,410
49. North Korea (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 14
> Annual public holidays: 10
> GDP per capita: $1,300 — N/A
> Population: 26.0 million
48. Papua New Guinea (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 14
> Annual public holidays: 9
> GDP per capita: $2,673 — #152 out of 206 countries
> Population: 9.9 million
47. Syria (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 14
> Annual public holidays: 9
> GDP per capita: $533 — #199 out of 206 countries
> Population: 21.3 million
46. Eritrea (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 14
> Annual public holidays: 8
> GDP per capita: $644 — N/A
> Population: 3.6 million
45. Palestine (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 14
> Annual public holidays: 8
> GDP per capita: $3,664 — N/A
> Population: 4.9 million
44. Guyana (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 19
> GDP per capita: $9,999 — #85 out of 206 countries
> Population: 804,570
43. Timor Leste (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 17
> GDP per capita: $2,741 — #151 out of 206 countries
> Population: 1.3 million
42. Indonesia (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 16
> GDP per capita: $4,333 — #130 out of 206 countries
> Population: 273.8 million
41. Paraguay (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 12
> GDP per capita: $5,892 — #113 out of 206 countries
> Population: 6.7 million
40. Swaziland (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 12
> GDP per capita: $3,978 — #135 out of 206 countries
> Population: 1.2 million
39. Antigua and Barbuda (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $15,781 — #69 out of 206 countries
> Population: 93,220
38. Costa Rica (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $12,472 — #75 out of 206 countries
> Population: 5.2 million
37. Suriname (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $4,869 — #122 out of 206 countries
> Population: 612,990
36. Tuvalu (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $5,632 — #114 out of 206 countries
> Population: 11,200
35. Vietnam (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $3,757 — #139 out of 206 countries
> Population: 97.5 million
34. Lesotho (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 10
> GDP per capita: $1,094 — #183 out of 206 countries
> Population: 2.3 million
33. Democratic Republic of the Congo (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 9
> GDP per capita: $577 — #198 out of 206 countries
> Population: 95.9 million
32. Mozambique (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 9
> GDP per capita: $492 — #201 out of 206 countries
> Population: 32.1 million
31. Tunisia (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 12
> Annual public holidays: 6
> GDP per capita: $3,807 — #137 out of 206 countries
> Population: 12.3 million
30. Bangladesh (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 24
> GDP per capita: $2,458 — #155 out of 206 countries
> Population: 169.4 million
29. Myanmar (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 20
> GDP per capita: $1,210 — #178 out of 206 countries
> Population: 53.8 million
28. Japan (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 16
> GDP per capita: $39,313 — #34 out of 206 countries
> Population: 125.7 million
27. Trinidad and Tobago (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 16
> GDP per capita: $16,033 — #68 out of 206 countries
> Population: 1.5 million
26. Belize (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 14
> GDP per capita: $6,228 — #109 out of 206 countries
> Population: 400,030
25. Cuba (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 12
> GDP per capita: $9,500 — #87 out of 206 countries
> Population: 11.3 million
24. Grenada (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 12
> GDP per capita: $9,011 — #92 out of 206 countries
> Population: 124,610
23. Honduras (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 12
> GDP per capita: $2,772 — #150 out of 206 countries
> Population: 10.3 million
22. Brazil (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $7,507 — #97 out of 206 countries
> Population: 214.3 million
21. Jamaica (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $5,184 — #118 out of 206 countries
> Population: 2.8 million
20. Liberia (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $676 — #195 out of 206 countries
> Population: 5.2 million
19. Bahamas (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 10
> GDP per capita: $27,478 — #47 out of 206 countries
> Population: 407,910
18. Fiji (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 10
> GDP per capita: $4,647 — #126 out of 206 countries
> Population: 934,610
17. Samoa (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 10
> GDP per capita: $3,857 — #136 out of 206 countries
> Population: 218,760
16. Canada (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 10
> Annual public holidays: 9
> GDP per capita: $51,988 — #22 out of 206 countries
> Population: 38.2 million
15. Malaysia
> Annual paid leave days: 8
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $11,109 — #79 out of 206 countries
> Population: 33.6 million
14. Brunei (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 7
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $31,449 — #42 out of 206 countries
> Population: 445,370
13. Singapore (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 7
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $72,794 — #9 out of 206 countries
> Population: 5.5 million
12. Taiwan (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 7
> Annual public holidays: 10
> GDP per capita: $71,244 — N/A
> Population: 23.6 million
11. Thailand (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 6
> Annual public holidays: 13
> GDP per capita: $7,066 — #101 out of 206 countries
> Population: 71.6 million
10. Nigeria (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 6
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $2,066 — #164 out of 206 countries
> Population: 213.4 million
9. Mexico (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 6
> Annual public holidays: 8
> GDP per capita: $10,046 — #84 out of 206 countries
> Population: 126.7 million
8. Philippines (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 5
> Annual public holidays: 12
> GDP per capita: $3,461 — #144 out of 206 countries
> Population: 113.9 million
7. China (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 5
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $12,556 — #74 out of 206 countries
> Population: 1.4 billion
6. Tanzania
> Annual paid leave days: 3
> Annual public holidays: 17
> GDP per capita: $1,099 — #182 out of 206 countries
> Population: 63.6 million
5. Palau
> Annual paid leave days: 1
> Annual public holidays: 11
> GDP per capita: $12,084 — #78 out of 206 countries
> Population: 18,020
4. Kiribati (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 0
> Annual public holidays: 13
> GDP per capita: $1,607 — #173 out of 206 countries
> Population: 128,870
3. Nauru (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 0
> Annual public holidays: 10
> GDP per capita: $10,648 — #80 out of 206 countries
> Population: 12,510
2. United States (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 0
> Annual public holidays: 10
> GDP per capita: $70,249 — #10 out of 206 countries
> Population: 331.9 million
1. Federated States of Micronesia (tied)
> Annual paid leave days: 0
> Annual public holidays: 9
> GDP per capita: $3,571 — #143 out of 206 countries
> Population: 113,130