Sydney- Australians delight in telling foreigners about their beaches, barbeques and wonderful outdoor lifestyle. If only they had the time off work to enjoy it all.

Research released Wednesday showed that only in Japan and the United States were workers taking less holiday.

The results of an annual survey by online travel company Expedia showed the average Australian workers took 16 days off last year. In Japan workers took eight days and in the US workers took 10 days.

"Europeans famously move to Australia in search of a better and more relaxed lifestyle, but in fact our Vacation Deprivation survey shows that they are likely to have more time to spend with family and friends in their home country," Expedia spokeswoman Louise Crompton said.

"People working in European countries all have and take substantially more holidays than Australian workers."

The French took the most holiday (36 days), followed by the Spanish (27), with the Italians and the Germans equally placed (25).

Last year the International Labour Organisation released a report which showed 20 per cent of Australians worked more than 50 hours a week compared with only 6 per cent in Germany, France, Spain and Italy. (dpa)