
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
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