Maternity & Paternity Leave Statistics 2023

Understanding Paternity Leave

Maternity leave refers to the period during which a mother takes time off from work to give birth, recover, and care for her newborn child. The duration and compensation for maternity leave vary significantly across different countries, reflecting diverse cultural attitudes and policies regarding family and work-life balance.

Paternity leave refers to the period of paid or unpaid leave that a new father takes to take care for his infant child. While maternity leave is a long-established practice, paternity leave is a relatively new concept in many cultures. The growing trend of offering paternity leave reflects the increasing role that fathers play in childcare, especially during the newborn phase.

Top Countries for Paternity Leave

Lithuania: In Lithuania, fathers are entitled to 30 days of paternity leave, paid at 77.58% of their regular earnings. Additionally, Lithuania offers up to 36 months of shared parental leave. The first year is fully paid, while the remaining two years are paid at 70% of the salary through social security.

Japan: Japan provides one full year of paid parental leave exclusively for fathers, separate from any leave granted to mothers. The first half of the leave is paid at 67% of the employee’s regular salary, and the remaining half at 50%. This is funded by the Japanese government.

Sweden: In Sweden, both parents have access to 480 days of shared leave with partial pay. The Swedish culture encourages parents to divide these leave days. Parental leave pay starts at 80% of the employee’s regular salary.

Norway: Norway provides fathers with either 15 weeks at 100% pay or 19 weeks at 80% pay through social security. This ensures a balanced approach to parenting duties.

Canada: Canada’s updated paternity and parental leave laws provide five weeks of paternity leave, paid at 55% of the employee’s average annual salary, up to a maximum of $573 per week. While only 11% of fathers use this leave nationwide, up to 84% do so in family-friendly Quebec. Families in Canada also receive 35 weeks of parental leave to share between parents.

France: France has recently doubled its paternity leave from two weeks to four weeks. Employers pay for the first three days, while the remaining 25 days are covered by social security. An additional seven days are granted for multiple births.

Conclusion

While the trend of offering paternity leave is growing, there is still a long way to go in many parts of the world. The introduction of policies supporting paternity leave highlights the importance of shared parenting responsibilities and promotes gender equality in caregiving roles.