Europeans traveling through the United States for the World Cup have more vacation time than most Americans, with European Union rules entitling workers to at least four weeks of paid annual leave. Many countries and collective agreements go beyond that minimum. The OECD's 2025 tax-wedge numbers show Belgium highest at 52.5% for a single average worker, followed by Germany at 49.3%, France at 47.2%, Austria at 47.1% and Italy at 45.8%. The OECD average was 35.1%. The tax wedge measures the gap between what it costs to employ a worker and what that worker takes home after income tax and social-security contributions.
On Jan. 1, 2025, 22% of the EU population was already 65 or older. Eurostat projects the working-age share of the EU population, those aged 20 to 64, to fall from 58% in 2025 to 50% by 2100. Germany's regular retirement age is already rising to 67 for Germans born in 1964 or later. A government-appointed pension commission has discussed a Swedish-style funded pension element, mandatory contributions and a gradual increase in the retirement age linked to life expectancy. Reuters reported that such a path could eventually push retirement toward 70. The United States faces Belgium next in the World Cup bracket, the only OECD country with a higher tax wedge than Germany.