Statutory paid annual leave (minimum days required by law)

This statistic measures the minimum number of days of paid annual leave that employees are legally entitled to under national labor law (or the closest equivalent legal guarantee). It is a useful lens on work–life balance policy because it captures a concrete benefit that is widely comparable across countries.

Values vary substantially: many countries legally require around 20 working days (often aligned with regional norms such as the EU Working Time Directive), while some countries have lower minima or no national statutory requirement (entitlements may instead be set by collective agreements, contracts, or state/provincial rules).