WHAT? Does that count sick days as well, or is that a myth?
Here in Germany, I get 30 vacation days per calendar year, plus any sick days, and thats fairly normal.
Edit: Sure the absolute salaries here are lower, but the cost of living is vastly different and the social support structures and healthcare are different, too. That should definitely be kept in mind.
I dont need to drive my car a lot, because my city is fully walkable/bikeable, and thats not a super rare thing here. There are a lot of factors.
I feel vacation days are just a basic requirement for happiness, whereas being rich maybe isnt
I live in a big European city. You basically don't need a car - pretty much anything within the city is reachable in about 30min, and public transit is comfy.
Also, I have a public transit ticket that allows me to travel the entire country for a year, which only cost about 1000€.
Yes, salaries are lower, but I also don't have to save anything to get my kids through university, or keep emergency funds for health issues.
Also, I can't just get fired without cause. And if I do get laid off, I have 3 months of grace period, plus potentially years of unemployment money.
Also, the government even pays for certain courses so I can find employment again.
The social system in Europe is amazing.
edit: In Germany. I‘m German and I have studied there. I should know.
edit2: Someone said this comment could be interpreted as the cost per year which is not the case. This is the total cost.
Overall, I estimate that my university education cost my parents around 7000 EUR. And this wasn't even educational costs, but mostly living expenses.
A room costs minimum 350 Euros or may easily cost 1000.
Food and going out costs at least 100 Euros or healthy food 200-300.
The subway ticket at that time cost 70 per month.
There are some additional costs such as health insurance etc.
Tuition at that time was 500 per semester for me.
Spending a semester abroad as is common is usually far more expensive.
And by law your parents have to pay. You are not required to even work.
On average parents are required to finance housing and food with 930 per month.
Source: https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/geld-versicherunge...
That may be true in theory. In practice, many parents are in an income range which makes the child not eligible for educational support (Bafög), but which also does not allow supporting the child with 1000 EUR/month. The thought of telling my parents "you are required by law to send me more money, do it!" never occurred to me. They had a house to pay off. Both my mother and father worked more hours per week then I did for university (around 4-5 hours per day, at most, and only during the semester - I did nothing for university for around 4 months during the semester vacations). When my father was the same age as I when I started university, he had already worked for 7 years and paid rent and food money to his parents. So I think paying at least the rent, tuition, and food myself was the least I could do.