Washington, Be Jealous: In These 18 Countries, Skipping the Tip Is Totally Normal

Tip guilt. Tip fatigue. Tipflation.

All of these words are relatively new to American vocabulary, and yet far too many of us can relate to them.

That said, tipping restaurant staff isn’t customary in all parts of the world. In some countries, it’s even viewed as rude and disrespectful.

So, if you’re planning an international trip to take a break from Washington and don’t love the thought of adding tips to your travel food budget, these are some countries where shelling out money above and beyond your bill isn’t the norm.

Mapping Tips

Visual Capitalist published a map of restaurant staff tipping percentages — or lack thereof — in 162 countries.

They published their findings in 2023, using data from TripAdvisor to determine where people do and don’t tip.

The reason Visual Capitalist only worked with 162 countries is that there wasn’t data for tipping practices in every country of the world.

The following countries are those that Visual Capitalist determined don’t require tipping. In some cases, tipping is appreciated. In other cases, a service fee might be included in the bill.

And, in the hardest-for-Americans-to-wrap-their-heads-around situations, tipping is an insult to restaurant staff.

Flip through the slideshow below to see the countries where residents don’t expect a tip.

The Run-Down

From a worldwide perspective, more than 33% of restaurant staff in the 162 countries Visual Capitalist analyzed expect a 10% tip.

Meanwhile, the United States had the highest expected tip, at 20%.

Canada followed closely behind the U.S. for high restaurant staff tips, with an expected tipping range of 15 to 20%.

Norway and Serbia were notable exceptions among European countries, with up to a 20% tip expected. In contrast, most other European countries expect up to a 10% tip.

History of Tipping

In 2023, CNBC published a piece on how American tipping practices have gotten out of control. Going back to the 1950s, it was common for people to tip 10% of their restaurant bill. O

nce the 1970s and 1980s came around, the cultural expectation was a 15% tip.

Nowadays, Americans are often expected to leave a 20% tip, with many restaurant paper and electronic bills suggesting a 25% tip.

So, why has the cultural pressure to tip higher percentages increased in recent years?

Experts point to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did many Americans start tipping restaurant workers more during the pandemic out of gratitude for their service, but they also started tipping for services they formerly never used to tip for.

Tipping for Pick-Ups

In the past, it was unheard of for Americans to tip a restaurant when they picked up a to-go order. That’s no longer the case.

When restaurants saw that people were willing to tip well for food deliveries during the pandemic, they realized they could ask for tips when customers came to their restaurants to pick up food.

It worked, and like so many tipping practices that became commonplace during the pandemic, such tipping practices haven’t reversed to pre-pandemic times.

That leaves many customers frustrated and resentful of not only higher food prices due to inflation but also higher prices due to tipflation.

Desperate for Change

As frustrating as it is for Americans to feel pressure to pay higher tips, many restaurant workers are also frustrated.

According to federal law, the minimum wage for tipped employees is a measly $2.13 per hour, assuming that minimum cash wage, coupled with tips they receive, results in a minimum wage rate of at least $7.25 per hour.

While many states have their own laws about wages for tipped employees, this reality remains: Working as a tipped employee involves uncertainty over hourly income.

Between this and frustration over paying high tips, many Americans feel legislation needs to change around tipped employees to make restaurant experiences fairer for both workers and customers.

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