( CNN ) -- Why not use those last few vacation days ? Given an average of 14 annual vacation days , Americans left four days on the table over the past year , according to Expedia.com 's 13th annual vacation deprivation study . That 's twice as many as the previous year . `` No one retires wishing they 'd spent more time at their desk , '' said John Morrey , Expedia 's vice president and general manager , in a statement . `` There are countless reasons that vacation days go unused -- failure to plan , worry , forgetfulness , you name it . But rested employees are more productive employees , so taking regular vacations may well help the company more than failing to do so . '' Workers around the world cite a variety of reasons for not using those days . Some 25 % say they like to stockpile days for possible trips in the future . Other reasons include difficulty of scheduling vacations ( 22 % ) , getting paid for unused days ( 18 % ) , worry they ca n't afford a vacation ( 16 % ) and failure to plan ( 15 % ) . But 8 % point the finger not at themselves and instead at the atmosphere of their workplaces , saying they resist using their allotted days off because taking vacation days may be viewed negatively . These figures and more were determined by Harris Interactive , which conducted this survey online from August 20 to September 12 in North America , Europe , Brazil and the Asia-Pacific region . In all , 24 countries were included , and 8,535 working respondents over age 18 took part . People had to be employed full time , part time or be self-employed . Americans are n't the most vacation-deprived citizens . That honor goes to both Japan and South Korea . South Koreans take seven out of 10 vacation days , while Japanese workers take seven out of 18 vacation days . Worldwide , working people get an average of 20 vacation days . The French top the scale in vacation days , getting 30 off each year and -- get this -- taking all of them . Even so , 90 % agree with the phrase , `` I feel vacation deprived '' despite the fact that they and other Europeans get more vacation time than most others . Even though they have fewer vacation days than the French , some 59 % percent of Americans feel vacation deprived . Norwegians are much less likely to pout about their lack of vacation time : Seventeen percent say they feel vacation deprived . Fewer than half of those from the Netherlands ( 41 % ) , Denmark ( 39 % ) and Mexico ( 38 % ) feel the same way . Once people do vacation , how successful are they at letting go ? Nearly half of those surveyed say they leave work behind `` as soon as I leave on vacation , '' while 20 % do when they arrive at their vacation destination . Only 10 % can `` never '' truly relax while away . Yet 67 % of Americans remain connected to their offices via e-mail or voice mail , they say . More than 90 % of French , Indian , Thai and Mexican travelers stay connected . That so many French workers stay connected to the workplace while away may -- or may not -- serve as consolation to others .
Americans will not use four vacation days this year , study says . Workers worldwide get an average of 20 vacation days . Workers in France get 30 days and use all of them .