According to Expedia's 24th annual Vacation Deprivation Report roughly half of Americans don't plan on using all their time off this year (53%), despite receiving just 12 days off annually — the fewest of any country surveyed. Expedia's report has been analyzing time-off trends around the world for 24 years, and while American vacation deprivation (defined as the feeling of not having enough time off) has now hit an 11-year high at 65%, rates are down in many other parts of the world. It's clear working adults in the U.S. could benefit from adopting some of the time-off strategies and attitudes in other countries.

• Japan: American and Japanese workers take a similar number of days off each year (11 and 12 respectively), but surprisingly Japan boasts the lowest vacation deprivation levels in the world (53%). Based on the survey, this could be attributed to Japanese workers taking more frequent, short vacations and prioritizing relaxation during their getaways.


• France: No one vacations quite like the French, taking the most days off in the world (29) and 2.5x more than Americans. There's an emphasis culturally on the fundamental right to rest as more French workers view vacations as a basic right (93% vs 83% of U.S.).


• Hong Kong: Hong Kong was the only market surveyed where respondents didn't leave vacation days unused but took more time off on average than they were allocated, and 15% vow to do it again in 2024 (highest globally).

"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, said Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group brands public relations. "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."