EmployerRecords Free Tool
13th Month Pay by Country
See which countries require or expect a 13th or 14th month salary, and what it adds to the cost of a hire at any salary, including employer contributions on the extra pay.
- 39countries
- 27statutory
- 11with a 14th month
- Freeno sign-up
All countries
Countries With 13th and 14th Month Pay
Every country in the dataset where employers pay one or two extra monthly salaries, by law or by firm custom. Costs update with the salary in the checker above.
Extra months are modelled as full monthly salaries. Employer contributions on the extra pay use each country's rates and ceilings. Currency conversion uses fixed rates dated 1 September 2026. Planning estimates, not payroll advice.
How it works
How to Use the 13th Month Pay Checker
Check any country, then browse every country that pays extra salary months. Costs update with the salary you enter.
Check a country
Pick any of 184 countries. The checker says whether a 13th or 14th month applies and whether it is set by law or by custom.
Set the salary
Enter an annual gross salary in US dollars. The tool treats it as 12 monthly salaries and adds the extra months on top.
Filter the list
Show statutory, customary or 14th month countries, ranked by what the extra pay adds at your salary.
Key findings
13th Month Pay Around the World: Key Findings
Countries where employers pay extra monthly salaries, based on all 184 countries in the dataset.
Countries with extra months
Out of 184
Statutory
Required by law
Customary
Expected, not required
Also pay a 14th
9 of them by law
Highest added cost at $60,000
Per yearStatutory 13th month only
Per yearAdded cost is the extra salary plus employer contributions on it, at a $60,000 annual salary paid over 12 months. Rates as of September 2026.
How it works in practice
What Employers Get Wrong About 13th Month Pay
Extra salary months are easy to miss when you budget a hire as twelve times the monthly salary.
Statutory
countries require it by law
Latin America, southern Europe and parts of Asia make the 13th month a legal entitlement, often with fixed payment dates.
Philippines: payable by 24 December
14th month
countries pay two extra months
Spain, Portugal, Greece and Austria pay 14 salaries a year. In Spain the two extra payments are often prorated across 12 months in the contract.
9 of the 11 are statutory
Customary
countries expect it without a law
In Japan, Singapore, China and Vietnam the extra pay is not mandatory, but leaving it out makes an offer uncompetitive.
Japan: semi-annual bonuses are near-universal
Contributions
of salary per extra month, before contributions
Each extra month adds one-twelfth of annual salary. In most countries social contributions apply to it too, so the true cost is higher.
Contributions follow the same ceilings
Budgeting
added by a 13th and 14th month
Two extra months add one-sixth to base pay. Quote annual salary in the offer letter to avoid confusion over what is included.
Before employer contributions
Payroll timing
is the usual month for a 13th salary
Many countries pay it before Christmas, sometimes in instalments. Panama pays in three parts and Argentina in two.
Check local payment deadlines
Our data
Built From Statutory Rates, Not Rough Averages
Each employer contribution is applied separately with its own legal ceiling, then the extra salary months and accruals each country requires are added. Read how the data is sourced in our editorial guidelines.
countries with employer cost data, every rate reviewed as of September 2026
countries costed contribution by contribution, each line capped at its legal ceiling
countries with 13th or 14th month pay modelled, statutory or customary
FAQs
13th Month Pay: FAQs
Quick answers on 13th and 14th month salaries by country.
Which countries have a mandatory 13th month salary?
In our dataset, 27 countries require it by law, including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Indonesia, Italy, Philippines and Portugal.
Which countries pay a 14th month salary?
Angola, Austria, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Peru, Portugal and Spain pay 14 salaries a year. All except Bangladesh and Japan do so by law; in Bangladesh and Japan it is customary.
Is 13th month pay mandatory in Japan, Singapore or China?
No. In Japan, Singapore and China the extra pay is customary rather than statutory. Most employers still pay it, so it is part of a competitive offer.
How much does a 13th month salary add to employer cost?
One extra month adds 8.3% of annual salary, before employer contributions on it. Two extra months add 16.7%. The checker shows the exact added cost, including contributions, for any country and salary.
Do social contributions apply to 13th month pay?
In most countries yes, at the same rates and up to the same ceilings as regular salary. The tool includes contributions on the extra pay in the added cost.
Does Mexico have a 13th month?
Mexico requires an aguinaldo of at least 15 days of pay, roughly half a month. It is modelled as an accrual in the employer cost calculator rather than a full 13th month, so Mexico is not in this list.