Singaporean employees take most paid time off among others in APAC
You might be sitting at work, wondering why another one of your colleagues is on a long holiday to Japan, while you have a tab open on your computer to search for the best flights to Bali.
This seems to be a trend, as data from the HR and payroll management company Deel has found that Singaporean full-timers take the most paid leave, or paid time off (PTO), among their peers in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
This data comes from Deel’s analysis of over 4,500 full-time workers who requested time off in 2025 from Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and more countries in the APAC.
Singaporeans take 19 days’ leave on average
In a press release on Tuesday (2 June), Deel revealed that Singaporeans take a median of 19 vacation days — the most PTO among employees in the APAC.
This is despite having an average vacation entitlement of 18 Days.
Image adapted from Leung Cho Pan on Canva. For illustration purposes only.
According to Deel, Singaporean workers do this by rolling over their unused paid leave from previous years.
They also found that over half (57%) of Singapore workers used up all their entitled vacation leave in 2025, while 77% used at least 80% of their leave.
Both figures put Singapore at the top among vacation-takers in APAC.
Singaporeans take longer vacations
The analysis also found that workers with flexible paid time off policies take more days off than those with fixed entitlements in Singapore, Australia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Additionally, Singapore workers take longer vacations of four days or more, pointing to a preference for planned long holidays and extended breaks.
Image adapted from Yuganov Konstantin on Canva. For illustration purposes only.
“In Singapore, we see that when people have both access and permission, they actually use their leave — and they use it in ways that help them properly switch off,” said Lauren Thomas, an economist at Deel.
Because of this finding, employers should consider leave entitlements when designing work, planning capacity, and thinking about their employees’ well-being, according to Deel.
“The companies that treat time off as a strategic lever, and not just an admin line item, are the ones that will be better placed to keep people healthy and businesses running smoothly,” Ms Thomas added.
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Report finds millennials the least happy at work, S’poreans discuss if purpose outweighs salary
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Featured image adapted from Nicolas Menijes on Canva, Aflo Images on Canva, both for illustration purposes only.
