Which countries enjoy the most ‘perfectly useless’ days?
'If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learnt how to live'. - Lin Yutang
We couldn’t agree more! In fact, this adage was the initial spark of inspiration behind our ‘A perfectly useless…’ series, designed by Belgian illustrator and author, Kristof Devos.
The collection is all about looking at time differently and treasuring free time by using it in a way which fills our cup - whether that’s through travelling, making memories with loved ones or simply resting and recharging.
To celebrate our latest watch release A perfectly useless evening, we conducted our own piece of research to discover which - out of the 87 countries we ship to - are the most leisurely, and who would most likely be found lounging by the pool with a drink in hand - just like the character on our new watch.
The results are in…
European countries dominate the top five most leisurely countries, with French citizens coming out on top with the most free time and work-life balance than anywhere else in the world.
With an average work week of 35 hours and a minimum paid annual leave allowance of 36 days, the French have the most free time to spend uselessly.
A close second is Denmark, followed by Norway. Kristof’s native Belgium comes in fourth and Australia takes the fifth and final spot in the top leisurely countries.
We had a lot of fun bringing all of this data to form our list of the world’s most leisurely countries. First we looked at the minimum leave full-time employees were given, both from company annual leave and public holidays. Then we looked at the average workweek to calculate how much time in a year the average person gets to enjoy when they’re not working on sleeping.
So, go on, pour yourself a tipple and make like the French! You deserve some time just for yourself. And if you need a reminder to prioritise your free time, you know where to find our A perfectly useless watches…
