Most Public Holidays in Europe 2026
Slovenia has the most public holidays in Europe with 21 national holidays in 2026. Switzerland has the fewest with just 4 federal holidays. The gap between the top and bottom is 17 days — nearly 3.5 working weeks.
European average: 13 national public holidays per country in 2026. Based on national holidays only — regional holidays (e.g. German states, Swiss cantons) not included in the ranking.
Key Numbers
21
Most in Europe
Slovenia
4
Fewest (federal)
Switzerland
13
European average
across 25 countries
17
Day gap
top vs bottom
25
Countries ranked
2025 – 2027 data
Notable Facts
🇩🇪Germany has 9 national holidays but states like Bavaria add regional holidays bringing totals up to 13.
🇪🇸Spain has 10 national holidays but 17 autonomous communities each add their own, pushing real totals to 12–14.
🇨🇭Switzerland's 26 cantons each set additional holidays beyond the 4 federal ones — real totals range from 8 to 14.
🌉Holiday count matters less than placement. 9 well-placed holidays can yield more long weekends than 15 mid-week ones.
Make the most of your public holidays
The number of holidays matters less than how you use them. Our Leave Optimizer finds the best bridge days so you get the most consecutive days off per leave day used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country in Europe has the most public holidays in 2026?
Slovenia has the most public holidays in Europe in 2026 with 21 national public holidays. Romania is second with 17, and Sweden third with 16.
Which European country has the fewest public holidays?
Switzerland has the fewest federal public holidays with 4 in 2026. However, Swiss cantons each set their own regional holidays, so the real total varies significantly by location — from 8 in some cantons to 14 in others.
How many public holidays does the average European country have?
The average across all 25 European countries is 13 national public holidays in 2026.
Does Germany have fewer holidays than France?
Yes. Germany has 9 national public holidays in 2026, while France has 11. However, German states (Bundesländer) add regional holidays — Bavaria, for example, observes up to 13 holidays in total.
Why does the UK have so few public holidays?
The United Kingdom has 5 bank holidays in England and Wales in 2026 — among the lowest in Europe. Scotland and Northern Ireland observe additional days. The UK historically has fewer statutory holidays than most of continental Europe.
Which country gives workers the most time off in Europe?
This depends on combining public holidays with statutory annual leave entitlements. Austria and Finland both have 15+ public holidays plus 25 days minimum annual leave by law — making them among the most generous in Europe for total time off.
Explore holidays for any country
Data source: Official government publications — see our data sources page. National holidays only — regional holidays not included in country ranking. · Report an error