How Many Annual Leave Days Is Normal?
What's a "normal" amount of annual leave? Typical entitlements around the world, the holidays-on-top nuance, and how to set a fair allowance — with a country table.
It's one of the first questions a new founder or HR lead asks, and one job-seekers quietly judge you on: how many days off is normal? Offer too few and you look stingy; the answer also depends enormously on where your people sit. Twenty days might be generous in one country and below the legal floor in another.
There's no single global number — but there are clear reference points. Here's what's typical around the world, the nuance that trips everyone up (are public holidays on top, or included?), and how to land on a figure that's fair and competitive.
First, the honest caveat
Statutory minimums and norms vary widely by country, and the figures below are examples for general guidance only — always check local law for the exact, current rules. The numbers also shift over time and can differ by contract type, sector, and length of service. This article is not legal advice.
With that said, the world roughly splits into two camps: places with a strong statutory floor (much of Europe), and places with little or none (notably the US).
Typical annual leave around the world
As a general guide — and again, check local law for specifics:
| Region / country | Typical paid annual leave* | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| European Union (floor) | 20 days (4 weeks) minimum | An EU-wide minimum; many countries exceed it |
| United Kingdom | 28 days (5.6 weeks) statutory | Can include public holidays |
| France | 25 days (5 weeks) | Plus public holidays |
| Germany | 20 days statutory minimum | Many employers offer 25–30 |
| Australia | 20 days statutory | Plus public holidays |
| United States | No federal statutory minimum | Often ~10–15 days offered by custom |
| Japan | From ~10 days, rising with service | Statutory, increases over time |
*Based on a standard five-day week. Part-timers are typically pro-rated — see how to calculate pro-rata holiday entitlement.
The headline: the EU sets a floor of four weeks, the UK lands higher at 5.6 weeks, and the US has no federal statutory minimum at all — paid leave there is a matter of employer policy and custom, not law. So "normal" genuinely depends on the passport.
The big nuance: holidays on top, or included?
This is where comparisons fall apart, and where offers get accidentally mis-sold. The same headline number can mean very different things:
- Holidays included. The figure already bundles public holidays. The UK's 28-day statutory minimum, for example, can be made up partly of the country's public holidays — so "28 days" may not mean 28 days of personal choice on top of bank holidays.
- Holidays on top. The figure is pure personal leave, and public holidays are extra. Common in much of continental Europe.
So "25 days" in one country and "25 days" in another can differ by a week or more of actual time off once public holidays are counted. When you state an allowance — internally or in an offer — always spell out which model you mean. The number is meaningless without it.
To see exactly which public holidays apply where your people are, browse the calendars:
- Public holidays in the United Kingdom (2026)
- Public holidays in the United States (2026)
- Browse public holidays for your country
So what should you offer?
A practical way to think about it:
- Find your legal floor. Whatever the statutory minimum is where each employee works, that's your non-negotiable starting point. Never go below it.
- Benchmark against your sector and region. "Normal" is local. Match or beat what comparable employers in the same country offer, or expect it to show in hiring.
- Be explicit about holidays. State clearly whether public holidays are on top of or included in the number. This single clarification prevents most disputes.
- Consider seniority bumps. Many employers add a day or two per few years of service — a cheap, sticky retention lever.
- Mind multi-country teams. If you employ people across borders, a single global number is rarely right — or even legal. Each location may need its own baseline.
Once you've set the headline figure, the real work is calculating it correctly per person — accruals, pro-rata, mid-year joiners. Our guide to calculating annual leave entitlement walks through the maths.
Make the most of what you've got
Whatever the number, smart timing stretches it. Booking days off next to public holidays — "bridge days" — turns a few leave days into long breaks. If you offer 25 days, a well-planned year can feel like a lot more. See how to maximize your 2026 annual leave with bridge days for the trick.
How Absenca handles it
Different people, different countries, different "normal" — that's exactly the mess Absenca is built for. Set an entitlement per office location, with the correct per-location public holidays built in (190-country data), so leave maths is right whether holidays are on top or included. Accruals, pro-rata for part-timers and mid-year starters, seniority bumps, and carry-over caps are all configured once and applied automatically.
A shared calendar shows who's off across every office, and each location can run its own leave-year start and entitlement — so a team spread across the UK, Germany, and the US each gets a correct allowance, not a one-size-fits-none number. It's free for up to 15 people, then $0.75/user/month.
Frequently asked questions
What's the most common amount of annual leave? There's no single answer — it's local. In much of Europe, 25–30 days (often plus public holidays) is typical; the UK floor is 28 days inclusive of bank holidays; the US has no statutory minimum and commonly lands around 10–15 days by custom. Always check the rules where your staff actually work.
Are public holidays counted as annual leave? It depends on the country and the policy. Some entitlements include public holidays in the headline number; others treat them as extra days on top. Because this changes the real amount of time off significantly, always state which model you use.
Is there a legal minimum amount of annual leave? In many countries, yes — for example, the EU sets a four-week floor and the UK provides 5.6 weeks. Others, including the US at federal level, have no statutory minimum. This is general guidance, not legal advice; check your jurisdiction.
Should everyone in my company get the same number of days? Not necessarily — and across borders, often not legally. Statutory minimums differ by country, so a single global figure can leave you below the law somewhere. Set a baseline per location and adjust for seniority where you like.
Set the right allowance for every location, with the correct holidays built in. Absenca handles entitlements, accruals, and pro-rata across countries — free for up to 15 people. Not sure how to do the maths? Read how to calculate annual leave entitlement.