Which countries have the most public holidays?
Although some countries seem to have a lot of public holidays on the outside, things may not be as they seem. Every country has its own set of norms and culture regarding public holidays. Of course, European countries are popular for their high number of public holidays. However, some other parts of the globe can be as advantageous.
Let us start with the champion of public holidays, Argentina, with 19 public holidays. No other country has been able to knock it off its pedestal for now. Between national, religious, and other types of days off, expats cannot complain. Moreover, if a public holiday happens to be on a Sunday, then Monday is automatically considered a holiday.
Just behind Argentina, there's another country in South America, Colombia, and one in Asia: India. Each has 18 public holidays per year. However, India can be quite confusing when it comes to public holidays. It has 36 states and territories, and each of its 6 main religions follows different calendars (solar, lunar, etc.) in addition to gazetted holidays (the only ones to have a defined date), there is no established public holidays' calendar in India. This is enough to muddle-head locals and expats. In fact, day to day, you may be working or not, depending on your geographic location, calendar, or religion.
In Japan, the well-being of workers is taken very seriously. There is always a strict observance of each public holiday—16 per year. There are also exceptional days' off. Like in Argentina, when a public holiday is on Sunday, the following day is compulsorily a holiday. In addition, if there is one working day between two public holidays, it will automatically be considered a floating holiday. Japan cares a lot for the health of its people.
There are 5 countries with 15 public holidays yearly: the Philippines, Chili, South Korea, Cyprus, and Slovakia (ranked first in Europe).
In Malta, Greece, Croatia and Italy, there are 14 non-working public holidays. Note that in Italia, public holidays falling on a Saturday or a Sunday are reimbursed because they are perceived as unprofitable public holidays. This is a compensation for workers. Spain is special because only 10 public holidays out of 14 are applicable to the whole country. Depending on the Spanish province in which you are located, you may beneficiate from additional public holidays.
Here are the next countries on the list, according to the number of public holidays:
- 13 days: Austria, Poland, Brazil, Latvia, Romania
- 12 days: Morocco, Tunisia, Czech Republic, Slovenia
- 11 days: New Zealand, France, Germany, Estonia, Sweden
- 10 days: Belgium, the US
- 9 days: Denmark, Ireland
- 7 days: Mexico
- 6 days: the UK
In some atypical countries like Germany, holidays may be added to the national calendar based on the region, as in Spain. For instance, in Bavaria, the total number of public holidays is 13.
Ireland is also interesting because most national public holidays are settled on Mondays to give workers a long weekend.
Do expats really enjoy public holidays?
Getting a day off on a public holiday is an extensive topic. Whether it is a working day really depends on the host country. Is there any way you can stick a holiday between two public holidays? Or maybe take an entire week off? The answers may vary depending on your country of expatriation, more precisely on the public holidays' calendar. In fact, a public holiday does not automatically mean a day off. It is the case for France. Since 2004, Pentecost Monday is considered “a solidarity day” hence a working day. However, work is not compulsory in companies, which allows some to take a day off.
In Japan, if a public holiday falls on a Sunday, then it is simply moved to Monday. This is an effort to maintain the same number of public holidays each year. The same rule applies to Ireland. Thus, expats in these two countries can enjoy long weekends and immovable public holidays every year.
In other parts of the world, like Italy, Germany, or France, when a public holiday falls on Tuesday or Thursday, some companies and schools close, giving some days off to the population. Moreover, in Europe or the US, school breaks fall during celebrations' seasons like Christmas or Easter.
Many workers, including expats, enjoy these public holidays, long weekends, or yearly breaks to travel, discover other towns or regions, or visit family, especially if the celebration is part of their culture—a way to take a break from everyday life.
Nevertheless, taking a day off on a public holiday is only possible for some workers. Some will be constrained to work depending on their profession because a country cannot simply be unplugged. For instance, some call centers or shops still operate on these dates, not to mention tourist attractions, restaurants, cafés, or bars, among others. If you are part of this type of business, get ready for work even on public holidays.
