These Are the Countries That Take the Most (and Least) Vacation Days

You earned these days. Use them.

You really, really — potentially third really — need to take a vacation day. And if you need any proof of this just take a look at Expedia's Vacation Deprivation Report, which may make you a little sad if you're an American — and rather proud if you're from Japan.

Expedia released its 24th annual Vacation Deprivation Report, which once again shows that Americans need to shift their thinking about taking all those unused vacation days that they've so rightfully earned.

According to the report, more than half (53 percent) of Americans said they do not plan on using all their time off this year "despite receiving just 12 days off annually," which the report states is "the fewest of any country surveyed."

"It's clear working adults in the U.S. could benefit from adopting some of the time-off strategies and attitudes in other countries," the report adds. But which countries, exactly? For starters, look to Japan, where workers receive about the same vacation days a year but tend to take just about all of them.

As the data shows, Japan boasts the lowest vacation deprivation levels in the world, with Japanese respondents reporting they are "seven times more likely to vacation monthly compared to U.S. workers … despite only taking one additional day of PTO (12 vs. 11) annually."

How? By taking advantage of all their federal holidays or school closures and scheduling more frequent, shorter getaways — aka long weekends for the win. And when they're off, they are really off.

"Americans rank among the lowest in terms of prioritizing rest and relaxation during their trips (61 percent), while it's the number one goal for 84 percent of Japanese travelers, perhaps contributing to lower feelings of deprivation," the report noted.

The other place American workers can look to for inspiration is France, where workers take the most vacation days in the world.

Unlike Americans, who prioritize a single big trip a year, French respondents reported they "shy away from the 'big trip,'" with nearly a third (30 percent) saying they opt to spread their days off throughout the year instead. Still, even this doesn't feel like enough for the French, who also report feeling vacation deprived because they simply feel that time off is a human right.

"We may not be able to control how many days off we get, but the research begs the question: What can we learn from other countries that will help Americans break this horrible habit of not using the time off we do have," Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group brands public relations, shared in the report. "In Japan, people take time off every month instead of just twice a year. For the French, not even a full month of vacation feels like enough time. Clearly, there's a lot for the U.S. to borrow from, whether it's spreading your PTO throughout the year or prioritizing rest on your next vacation." 

Ready to give the French and Japanese way a try? Here's how you can turn 15 vacation days into 52 by playing with all those U.S. federal holidays. See the full Vacation Deprivation report at expedia.com.

Related: 7 Europeans Explain How They Really Use All Their Vacation Time

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