Asia Public Holidays Compared (2026)
"How many public holidays does each country get?" has no single answer — it depends on whether you count gazetted holidays, the days off they actually produce, or the weekends you have to pay back. The table below compares the 12 Asian markets we track, using the official government calendar for each. Every number links back to the full country page with sources.
The 2026 numbers, side by side
| Country / region | Days off | Long weekends | Longest break | Make-up workdays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | 36 | 9 | 9 days | 0 |
| China | 33 | 7 | 9 days | 6 |
| Indonesia | 25 | 9 | 7 days | 0 |
| South Korea | 22 | 7 | 5 days | 0 |
| Thailand | 22 | 6 | 5 days | 0 |
| Macau | 20 | 4 | 4 days | 0 |
| Philippines | 20 | 8 | 4 days | 0 |
| Malaysia | 19 | 6 | 4 days | 0 |
| Vietnam | 19 | 5 | 9 days | 2 |
| Japan | 18 | 6 | 5 days | 0 |
| Hong Kong | 17 | 3 | 5 days | 0 |
| Singapore | 14 | 6 | 3 days | 0 |
Taiwan
China
Indonesia
South Korea
Thailand
Macau
Philippines
Malaysia
Vietnam
Japan
Hong Kong
SingaporeDays off counts every scheduled non-working day inside official holiday blocks (including weekend days that fall inside multi-day breaks like Golden Week), so systems with long bridged breaks rank higher than a raw holiday count would suggest. Make-up workdays are weekend days you must work to "pay for" an extended break.
Why the answer depends on how you count
By raw gazetted holidays, Indonesia (17 national holidays + 8 cuti bersama = 25 days), Macau (20 public holidays), Thailand (~19–20) and the Philippines (20 national days off across two classes) top Asia. But mainland China turns just 7 statutory holidays into 33 scheduled days off by bridging weekends into week-long breaks — at the cost of 6 make-up workdays. Taiwan runs the same bridged-break playbook without any make-up days since 2025, which is why it leads the days-off column.
Indonesia is Southeast Asia's gazetted-count leader: 17 national holidays plus 8 cuti bersama collective-leave days give 25 scheduled days off in 2026 — though cuti bersama binds only civil servants, so private-sector practice varies. At the other end, Singapore has Asia's leanest calendar: 11 gazetted holidays producing 14 days off, with six long weekends in 2026 softening the count.
Four holiday systems, four different trade-offs
Make-up workday systems (mainland China, Vietnam) manufacture long breaks by swapping weekends — great for travel, but you pay the days back on working Saturdays. Substitute-holiday systems (South Korea, Taiwan, Macau) add a weekday off when a holiday lands on a weekend, with no payback. In-lieu systems (Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines) roll Sunday holidays to Monday — Saturdays usually get nothing. Indonesia builds breaks with cuti bersama collective-leave days that bind civil servants but are optional for companies. Japan stands alone with automatic Monday-shifting (Happy Monday laws) plus bridge rules that occasionally create bonus holidays like Silver Week.
For trip planning, the days-off total matters less than when the breaks cluster: Lunar New Year (mid-February 2026) shuts down mainland China, Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia simultaneously — the single biggest travel crunch in Asia — while Golden Week (China, early October) and Songkran (Thailand, mid-April) are the other two windows worth booking around.
For perspective: the Western markets we track
| Country / region | Days off | Long weekends | Longest break | Make-up workdays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 17 | 10 | 6 days | 0 |
| United Arab Emirates | 14 | 3 | 6 days | 0 |
| Brazil | 13 | 3 | 4 days | 0 |
| United States | 12 | 8 | 4 days | 0 |
| New Zealand | 11 | 6 | 4 days | 0 |
| Canada | 10 | 4 | 4 days | 0 |
| Ireland | 10 | 2 | 3 days | 0 |
| Germany | 9 | 3 | 4 days | 0 |
| Saudi Arabia | 9 | 2 | 5 days | 0 |
| United Kingdom | 8 | 5 | 4 days | 0 |
| Australia | 7 | 3 | 4 days | 0 |
India
United Arab Emirates
Brazil
United States
New Zealand
Canada
Ireland
Germany
Saudi Arabia
United Kingdom
AustraliaFrequently asked questions
Which country has the most public holidays in Asia?+
It depends on the measure. By gazetted count, Indonesia leads the markets we track in 2026 with 25 days (17 national holidays + 8 cuti bersama), ahead of Macau (20), the Philippines (20 across regular + special days) and Thailand (~19–20). By scheduled days off, Taiwan (36) and mainland China (33) lead thanks to bridged multi-day breaks.
Which country in ASEAN has the most public holidays?+
Indonesia, with 25 scheduled days off in 2026 — 17 national holidays plus 8 cuti bersama collective-leave days. Among the other ASEAN markets we track, Thailand and the Philippines (~20 each) follow, then Vietnam (19 scheduled days off from 12 statutory days), Malaysia (16 federal holidays) and Singapore (11 holidays, the fewest).
Does China have more public holidays than Singapore?+
On paper, no — mainland China has only 7 statutory holidays versus Singapore's 11. In practice, yes: China's make-up workday system stretches those 7 holidays into 33 scheduled days off in 2026 (against 6 working Saturdays), while Singapore's 11 holidays produce 14 days off.
Which Asian countries have make-up workdays?+
Only mainland China (6 make-up Saturdays/Sundays in 2026) and Vietnam (2 make-up Saturdays in 2026) still swap weekends for longer breaks. Taiwan abolished the practice from 2025, and the other markets we track never used it — they add substitute or in-lieu days instead.
Which country has the most public holidays in 2026?+
Among the 21 countries and regions we track, Indonesia has the most gazetted days off in 2026 (25 = 17 national holidays + 8 cuti bersama), while Taiwan produces the most scheduled days off (36, bridged breaks with zero make-up days). Globally, some countries often cited as leaders (Iran, Nepal, Myanmar) gazette 25+ holidays too, but their calendars are outside our verified-source coverage.
Which country has the least public holidays?+
Among the markets we track, England & Wales have the leanest calendar with just 8 bank holidays a year (Scotland 9, Northern Ireland 10). In Asia, Singapore is the minimum with 11 gazetted holidays — though its in-lieu Mondays and six long weekends in 2026 soften the gap.
When do holidays overlap across Asia in 2026?+
The biggest overlap is Lunar New Year around Feb 16–18, 2026, observed in mainland China, Taiwan, Vietnam (Tet), South Korea (Seollal), Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia (Imlek) and the Philippines. Mid-Autumn/Chuseok holidays cluster in late September, and many markets share Labour Day (May 1) and Christmas (Dec 25).