These Are the 10 Countries With the Least Paid Vacation — and Where the U.S. Ranks Might Surprise You

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Many American employees want to take a vacation to combat feelings of stress and burnout — but some of them simply don’t have the option.



Blasius Erlinger | Getty Images

According to a new report from Resume.io shared by CNBC Make It, the U.S. is the second-worst country for paid vacation days.

The report, which reviewed data on laws governing annual statutory paid leave and paid public holidays in 197 countries, revealed that the average American receives 10 paid vacation days per year after one year of service and is the only “developed country with no statutory paid leave.”

Per The New York Times, the U.S. is only one of six countries in the world that doesn’t offer any national form of paid leave.

“The United States’ lack of paid vacation days negatively impacts work-life balance in many ways,” Lotte van Rijswijk, content team lead at Resume.io, told CNBC Make It.

Related: Here’s Why Every Employee Should Have Unlimited Vacation Days

Here’s the full list of the 10 countries offering the least paid vacation.

1. Micronesia

Continent: Oceania
Total Paid Vacation Days: 9

2. United States of America

Continent: North America
Total Paid Vacation Days: 10

3. Nauru

Continent: Oceania
Total Paid Vacation Days: 10

4. Palau

Continent: Oceania
Total Paid Vacation Days: 12

5. Kiribati

Continent: Oceania
Total Paid Vacation Days: 13

6. Mexico

Continent: North America
Total Paid Vacation Days: 14

7. China

Continent: Asia
Total Paid Vacation Days: 16

8. Lebanon

Continent: Asia
Total Paid Vacation Days: 17

9. Philippines

Continent: Asia
Total Paid Vacation Days: 17

10. Nigeria

Continent: Africa
Total Paid Vacation Days: 17

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