New data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed which countries take the most sick days each year, and the differences are striking.
Among the 37 countries surveyed, Poland leads the world, with the average worker taking 34 sick days annually, more than a full month away from work.
Recent visual data comparing absenteeism globally shows that sick-leave trends vary widely, influenced by national policies, labour expectations and cultural norms. Some nations take fewer than three days a year, while others offer generous benefits that drive up averages.
How countries compare with sick days
The global picture shows a wide range of averages. Here are highlights from the data:
Countries that take the most sick days include:
- Poland – 34.0 days
- Bosnia & Herzegovina – 25.0 days
- Norway – 24.0 days
- Slovenia – 21.7 days
- Belgium – 21.6 days
- France – 21.5 days
- Lithuania – 20.8 days
- Spain – 20.0 days
- Czech Republic – 19.2 days
- Slovakia – 16.9 days
Mid-range countries included:
- Finland – 15.5 days
- Germany – 14.8 days
- Australia – 13.8 days
- Croatia – 13.5 days
- Chile – 13.5 days
- Canada – 12.5 days
- Luxembourg – 12.0 days
- Netherlands – 14.2 days
- Sweden – 13.0 days
- Colombia – 11.8 days
And countries with the fewest sick days included:
- United Kingdom – 4.4 sick days
- Turkey – 3.2 days
- South Korea – 3.0 days
- Singapore – 2.7 days
- Malta – 1.8 days
How does South Africa stack up?
Well, according to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) in South Africa, all employees are entitled to paid sick leave according to a 36-month “sick-leave cycle.”
That means that over any 36-month period, employees working a standard five-day week are entitled to the equivalent of six weeks’ paid sick leave, which works out to 30 working days.
For new employees still within their first six months of work, however, the entitlement is calculated differently: you get one paid sick day for every 26 days worked. Once you complete six months, the full sick-leave allocation for the 36-month cycle applies.
That means a South African worker who works five days a week can expect, at minimum, 30 paid sick leave days every three years, a modest but legally guaranteed buffer for illness or injury.
In light of the WHO data, it’s clear that South Africa’s statutory leave provision is fairly conservative compared with countries that record high sick-leave averages, such as Poland or Slovenia. But it’s also more generous than what workers in low-absentee countries typically take.
Also, unlike many nations featured in global statistics, South Africa’s sick-leave law does not automatically provide a certain number of days per year. Instead, entitlement is structured over a three-year cycle, which can mask the actual number of days available in a given calendar year.
Moreover, unlike countries whose sick-leave averages reflect real absenteeism (actual days taken off), South Africa’s law defines a maximum entitlement, not actual usage. That means while workers have the right to up to 30 days over three years, many may never use all of them.
