Holiday league
Public holiday league 2021
In 2021, Japan declares the most national public holidays (16); Japan gets the most on a working day (15); in Japan a day of leave stretches furthest (≈4.75× days off).
1 countrycouldn’t be loaded just now and is left out.
Most public holidays
| # | Country | Total | On a workday | Lost to weekend | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 1 | Sweden | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 3 | Austria | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 |
| 3 | Finland | 15 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| 5 | Kenya(est.) | 14 | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 6 | Portugal | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | South Africa | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | Norway | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | Italy | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 10 | Belgium | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 10 | Denmark | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 10 | France | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 13 | New Zealand | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | United States | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Spain | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| 16 | Ireland | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | Germany | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 16 | Netherlands | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 19 | Canada | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | Australia | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | United Kingdom | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Switzerland | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Best this year — lands on a working day
| # | Country | Total | On a workday | Lost to weekend | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Kenya(est.) | 14 | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 2 | South Africa | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | United States | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Austria | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | Sweden | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 7 | Finland | 15 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| 7 | Portugal | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| 10 | Norway | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 10 | Belgium | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 10 | Denmark | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 10 | France | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 10 | Spain | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| 10 | Ireland | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | Canada | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | Italy | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 17 | Australia | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Germany | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 19 | Netherlands | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 19 | United Kingdom | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Switzerland | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Unluckiest this year — lost to a weekend
| # | Country | Total | On a workday | Lost to weekend | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 2 | Finland | 15 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| 3 | Austria | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 |
| 3 | Italy | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 5 | Portugal | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| 5 | Norway | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | Kenya(est.) | 14 | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 7 | Belgium | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | Denmark | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | France | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | Germany | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | Netherlands | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 13 | Spain | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| 14 | South Africa | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | Ireland | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | Switzerland | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | Japan | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | Canada | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | New Zealand | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | United States | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Australia | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | United Kingdom | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Best PTO leverage — most days off per leave day
Days off per day of leave at a fixed 15-day budget, Mon–Fri — a yardstick; your own leverage depends on your real budget.
| # | Country | Leverage | Days off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 4.75× | 19 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 4.5× | 18 |
| 3 | Kenya(est.) | 4.25× | 17 |
| 3 | South Africa | 4.25× | 17 |
| 3 | Denmark | 4.25× | 17 |
| 3 | Ireland | 4.25× | 17 |
| 3 | Australia | 4.25× | 17 |
| 8 | Sweden | 4× | 16 |
| 8 | Finland | 4× | 16 |
| 8 | Norway | 4× | 16 |
| 8 | Belgium | 4× | 16 |
| 8 | Spain | 4× | 16 |
| 8 | United States | 4× | 16 |
| 8 | Canada | 4× | 16 |
| 15 | Austria | 3.75× | 15 |
| 15 | Portugal | 3.75× | 15 |
| 15 | Italy | 3.75× | 15 |
| 15 | France | 3.75× | 15 |
| 15 | Germany | 3.75× | 15 |
| 15 | Netherlands | 3.75× | 15 |
| 15 | United Kingdom | 3.75× | 15 |
| 22 | Switzerland | 3.5× | 14 |
How we count
National public holidays only — regional, bank, optional and observance days are excluded so the count is comparable across countries. A holiday is lost to a weekendwhen it falls on a Saturday or Sunday under a Mon–Fri workweek; substitutes are the in-lieu days some countries grant to give it back, counted here as real days off. Leverage runs our optimizer at a fixed 15-day PTO budget, Mon–Fri, and reads the best plan’s days off per leave day — a yardstick so countries compare like-for-like, not a promise; your own leverage depends on your real budget. Forward years may include estimated lunar or observed dates.