39 Countries That Take More Vacation Than The U.S. (PHOTOS)

We Americans recently celebrated our nation's independence with a day off work. It was glorious, extended the weekend and offered many of us a respite to the sticky hot weather. As relaxed as we might have felt the day after, we only get to enjoy 10 public holidays a year (Labor Day is next in September). In fact, there is no statutory minimum vacation days in the U.S., according to Business Insider; as such, we get the fewest amount of vacation days IN THE WORLD.

While Europe is basically off for all of August, we're here toiling away. So what do other countries offer their country's employees? In a word: MORE.

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Australia, India, Taiwan & Netherlands: 39 days

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Minimum number of vacation days: 12 Number of public holidays: 16 AFP PHOTO / Greg WOOD (Photo credit should read GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images)

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Minimum number of vacation days: 12
Number of public holidays: 16

AFP PHOTO / Greg WOOD (Photo credit should read GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images)

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Total comments: 42 | Post a Comment

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Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Eh, I Like It Where I Am I'm Moving!

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Comments

[Cary Chaffee]

05:37 PM on 07/29/2010

Wow.. Australia takes nearly twice as many holidays as Americans and the economy is significantly more robust at the moment having barely registered the recession. So much for the American 'let the free market correct itself' mantra.

[blutigeroo]

01:55 AM on 08/04/2010

The Australian economy is more insulated for multiple reasons-our banks don't take risky gambles as much as their American counterparts (they were bruised whilst doing this in the past & learnt their lesson & the regulators got to work quickly), China is interested in our natural resources, we don't start crazy wars, past financial reforms, our financial engagement with other nations in the Asia-Pacific region, some well-placed & well-times stimulus (no bank bailouts), we watched the northern hemisphere start falling apart and acted quickly, the actions of other countries durind the GFC, dumb luck, dumb luck, dumb luck.

[maxfax]

07:24 PM on 07/25/2010

We're a driven society, taking off of work for extended periods of time is only tolerated when one's sick, not when it's for relaxing and for fun. We're wierd.

[rtb61]

06:49 AM on 07/23/2010

Hey, you gipped, Australia. You also get long service leave normally after fifteen years of service at one day per month of service, so kindly add another 12 days to the total, also many companies provide rostered days off, one day off every 4 weeks. So to get it accurate 20 days annual leave, 12 public holidays, 12 days long service leave accrual, and 13 rostered days off (in addition 10 paid sick leave days accruing to a maximum of 90 days) so 57 holiday days every year, thank you very much. Now is the fair, of course it bloody is, it is just part and parcel of the agreed salary package and provides for healthier and happier employees.

[Squeezer55]

10:55 PM on 07/22/2010

The one country that doesn't take more holidays is Canada - 4 national holidays and 5 provincial holidays on average. It sucks but that's probably why our economy is doing better than most of those in Europe. However, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

[maxfax]

07:25 PM on 07/25/2010

Dull, sick and drunk.

[SayBlade]

10:54 PM on 07/29/2010

That is an interesting observation. And, yet Canadians are -- so statistics say -- less productive than Americans?

I understood that part of the reason Australia gets so much holiday time is to boost the economy. If you have six weeks off, I don't think you're going to hang around home. There are other parts of the country to visit and people to see, so tourism is a prominent industry.

[Andy Sturms]

10:53 PM on 07/22/2010

Is the picture of Austria/Malta of Austria or Malta, I want to go anywhere where people dress that nice still, looks like something of the The Sun Also Rises.

[netzwerg]

03:07 AM on 07/23/2010

Looks like inside an austrian theatre.

[netzwerg]

03:09 AM on 07/23/2010

Paris Hilton likes it too: http://operachic.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/pariswien.jpg

[KIVPossum]

08:12 AM on 07/22/2010

Most workers in Moldova get 4 weeks. I think that's the norm in Ukraine too.

[PoliticalRockChick]

10:50 PM on 07/21/2010

Washington DC gets August off and still get paid.

[lovethehuff]

01:20 PM on 07/27/2010

i hear some people there take years off at a time, and never do a damn thing

[ObamAtomic]

09:29 PM on 07/21/2010

In America depends,,,can be good or bad.

[David Michael Wise]

07:53 PM on 07/21/2010

If you are a Swedish citizen and you get pregnant, you get a year off with pay.

[netzwerg]

03:08 AM on 07/22/2010

Not only in Sweden, but in the whole EU: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_leave#Europe

[RobertoAlba]

06:14 PM on 07/21/2010

I'm going to go ahead and go to Law School so that I can get a nice comfy job and be able to take nice vacations.

[JScott]

11:42 AM on 07/21/2010

The US needs at least a holiday between Feb. and May that stretch is too long to go with no holiday.

[Marc NL]

11:21 AM on 07/21/2010

I moved from the country with the most amount of vacation to the country with the least..

Way the go me!

Unfortunately, I don't think people understand (the majority) that you increase productively if you have well rested happy people.

[MIKEBC]

08:41 AM on 07/21/2010

Those are the lucky countries that don't have a bunch of rightwing conservatives bent on making life hard for their people! and for me I'm frugal and I've been semi-retired since my late 40's and there's this rightwing dummy that lives near me and he can't stand it, he thinks I'm on welfare or something, everytime I get near him he has this big jealous grumpy look on his face!

[imonlyhereforthelaughs]

09:03 AM on 07/21/2010

Maybe it's just gas.

Maybe you smell funny.

Maybe he doesn't prefer your choice of lawn ornaments.

Maybe a lot of things.

I hardly doubt anyone is jealous of someone who appears to be scrimping to get by (an assessment made using your description).

[JScott]

11:43 AM on 07/21/2010

He needs some vacation.

[Romeover]

07:28 AM on 07/21/2010

Peon, you were born to toil for your capitalist masters. Quit griping, and get back to work. Vacations are for people who were born rich, and therefore beloved by God.

[Margo Arrowsmith]

08:32 AM on 07/21/2010

And since this president is a peon, then obviously he shouldn't even take 2 day weekends with his family, because the right will call them vacations and get people riled up about it.

faved, btw.

[KIampfbeobachter]

06:19 AM on 07/21/2010

and all have universal health care, a better general public health
AND MOST OF THESE ECONOM,IES ARE NOT COLLAPSING.

[Margo Arrowsmith]

08:33 AM on 07/21/2010

fanned and faved but don't confuse the right with facts.

[imonlyhereforthelaughs]

09:01 AM on 07/21/2010

That's right...Greece's economy has already collapsed.

The rest ARE collapsing.

[netzwerg]

09:08 AM on 07/21/2010

hear hear.

[ptobe]

09:31 AM on 07/21/2010

Yes, taken down by the worldwide credit crisis started in (wait for it) ... America - caused by (here it comes again) ... unfettered Capitalism and deregulation.

It's like America's gift to the world!

(by the way, Germany's doing just fine & so is Canada with it's 10 days vacation, so drawing any causal relationships here would be purely specious. Cheers!)