In Germany, the busiest period for vacation planning is not the summer months, as commonly thought. According to data from Deel, a global HR and payroll platform, the highest rate of employee leave usage in 2025 was recorded in December. While the proportion of employees taking at least one day off in a calendar week in August was a maximum of 26.5%, this rate reached 61.7% in December.

 

Data for the first half of 2026 also reveals that many employees are saving their longer vacations for the second half of the year.

 

Only 10 Days of Leave Taken in First Half

 

As of the end of June 2026, employees in Germany had taken a median of 10 days of leave. This figure maintained the same level as in the corresponding period of 2025.

 

In contrast, the total applied for and approved leave duration for 2026 remained at a median of 14.5 days. This figure includes the leave days used in the first half of the year.

 

Employees in Germany took a median of 26 days of leave throughout 2025. If this level also applies to 2026, employees have more than two weeks of leave available to use in the second half of the year.

 

Max Lux, Deel DACH Country Director, said, “Our data for the first half of the year shows that many employees are consciously saving their longer breaks for the second half. Based on last year's levels, a median of just over two weeks of leave remains unused.”

 

Lux stated that companies should pay attention not only to leave applications but also to the actual utilization of leave. According to 2025 data, 57% of employees did not use their full annual leave entitlement.

 

December's Intensity Far Outpaced August

 

2025 data showed that leave demand peaked during the Christmas weeks, not the classic summer holiday period.

 

While the highest weekly rate of employees taking leave in August was 26.5%, this rate rose to 61.7% in December. Thus, the intensity of leave during the Christmas period reached approximately two and a half times the peak level of the summer months.

 

Similar Trend Seen in Other European Countries

 

Germany is not alone in this trend. The proportion of employees taking at least one day off in December was recorded as 65.6% in France, 65.4% in Italy, 59.3% in Spain, 59% in the United Kingdom, 57.7% in Sweden, and 49.3% in the Netherlands.

 

The highest weekly rates in August, on the other hand, remained at 44.5% in France, 46.6% in Italy, 34.2% in Spain, 26.8% in the United Kingdom, and 27.4% in the Netherlands.

 

Sweden partially differed in this picture. While the busiest period for summer vacation in the country occurred in July, 51.4% of employees took at least one day off. The rate in August was 34.2%.

 

Most Employees Don't Use Full Leave Entitlement

 

Whether a similar picture will emerge in 2026 will become clear at the end of the year. However, 2025 data shows that deferring leave to later in the year does not necessarily mean the full entitlement will be used.

 

Despite employees taking a median of 26 days of leave, only 43% utilized their full annual leave entitlement.

 

Deel's analysis is based on anonymized leave data from 2,726 employees in Germany who were employed via the platform between January 1 and July 1, 2026, and have been working since the beginning of the year. Visual: © AI-generated illustration