Here’s how Canada's tipping rate ranks among other countries

Tipping your server generously may be expected in Canada, but it isn’t the norm worldwide.

You may have seen gratuity prompts starting at 10% and going as high as 25% at restaurants in Canada. But in some places, offering a tip at all is considered rude.

HelloSafe, which compares insurance and financial products, published a study revealing that North America has the highest tipping rates in the world, with the US in the top spot and Canada in second.

The firm used a vacation planning website for its analysis.

“In American restaurants, it is customary to leave the waiter around 20% of your final bill to express your appreciation for his service,” states HelloSafe’s report on gratuity around the world. “Tipping is often the main source of income for American waiters, whose wages are low.”

In the US, the federal minimum wage stands at US$7.25. However, if a job is expected to collect tips, the minimum wage can be adjusted to amounts as low as a couple of dollars in different states.

This is not the case in Canada, where the federal minimum wage has been $16.65 since April 2023. Though provinces and territories have different wage rates, the lowest is still $14 in Saskatchewan.

Still, Canada has the second-highest tipping rate — between 15% and 20%.

Mexico is the third biggest tipper (15%), and Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have gratuity rates of around 10 to 15% of the bill.

Tipping in Europe

Several European countries include the tip in your bill. These include France, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, Greece, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, and Germany.

Things vary slightly across countries, too. If you want to tip your server in Poland, handing them cash instead of leaving it on the table is best. Croatian establishments also expect tips in cash — you can give cash to your server, add it to the total bill, or leave money on the table.

In Spain, rounded-off tips are the norm. So if your total bill is €23, rounding it off and paying €25 would be the way to go.

Rude to tip?

In its study, HelloSafe notes that tipping is considered rude in some parts of Asia.

“Modesty is highly valued in China. Ostentatious displays of generosity or wealth can be frowned upon. For example, tipping a waiter could be very badly perceived by the local population,” the report states.

In Japan, however, customer service is “generally exceptional,” and the service charge on your bill is expected to cover the tip. In this case, instead of a compliment, tipping can imply the service was not satisfactory.

Tipping in Korea can be seen “as a way of creating a hierarchy or showing off one’s wealth,” HelloSafe notes.

Check out Daily Hive’s ultimate gratuity guide to understand how tipping in restaurants and other establishments works in Canada.