Countries With the Best Maternity and Paternity Leave

Welcoming a new baby is a moment of pure joy, a time for bonding, not for worrying about work or finances. Parental leave provides parents essential time to care for their baby and recover from the demands of childbirth or the adoption process. 

However, not all parental benefits are created equal. They differ largely from country to country, just like all other leave requirements, with some being incredibly generous and others being, well, nonexistent. 

From generous paid time off to subsidized childcare and flexible work arrangements, parental leave benefits take many forms. Curious about which countries have the best maternity and paternity leave policies? Keep reading to find out. 

What is maternity leave?  

Maternity leave is time off work for new mothers to care for their newborn or newly adopted child. It allows moms the time to bond with their baby, recover from childbirth, and adapt to new responsibilities as a parent. 

What countries have the best maternity leave in 2024?

Maternity leave policies vary by country and company, often including paid or unpaid leave options, depending on the organization and local laws.  

Here are some countries with the most generous policies:

Bulgaria – 410 days

Bulgaria is the country with the best maternity leave in the world, offering new parents an incredible 410 days of paid time off. Not only do they have one of the longest maternity leaves, but Bulgaria also covers 90% of the employee’s salary and starts 45 days before the due date. 

The employee is also entitled to monthly compensation for the period between the expiration of the 410 days and the child reaching the age of two years, paid by social security, in the amount of the minimum monthly salary.

Norway – 413 days

Scandinavian countries tend to be generous when it comes to maternity leave, and Norway is no exception. Norway’s flexible benefits allow new mothers to take up to 59 weeks of maternity leave paid at an 80% pay rate or 49 weeks at full pay.  

Sweden – 390 days

Sweden offers 480 days for both parents. Parents receive parental leave at 80% of their regular wages. Unlike many countries that don’t extend leave for multiple births, an additional 180 days are granted for each additional child. Parental benefit is 240 days per parent, for a fully paid total of 480 days, and it is distributed as you choose between the parents. Fathers get 90 paid paternity days of those 480 reserved just for them to promote father-child bonding. The rest of the 390 days could be used entirely by the mother or divided up as they chose. 

Croatia – 225 days

Croatia provides mothers with paid leave until the child is 6 months old, paid at 100%! Their leave starts as early as the 45th day before her due date, and they have compulsory leave until the 70th day after the child’s birth. The rest of the leave is optional and can even be transferred to their spouse. 

Greece – 119 days

Greece offers employees 43 weeks of maternity leave. They are entitled to up to 17 weeks of fully paid maternity leave (eight weeks before and nine weeks after the birth of a child). Following this, an additional six-month special leave is granted, compensated for at the minimum daily wage, leading up to a total of 43 weeks of paid leave. Privileges also include reduced hours of daily work over several months. 

What countries don’t have maternity leave? 

The United States is one of the few developed countries that doesn’t have a national policy on paid parental leave. The only other countries that don’t guarantee mothers time off are Papua New Guinea, Suriname, Micronesia, The Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, and Tonga. 

Clearly, in comparison to other high-income countries, the US is extremely behind when it comes to paid time off.  

The law only legislates unpaid time off for new parents through the Family and Medical Leave Act. Enacted in 1993, FMLA guarantees families up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. 

To compensate for the lack of support for new parents, a few states have implemented their own policies. California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island have all enacted laws that guarantee new parents some paid time off. And in 2016, Washington D.C. became the first city in the country to offer paid parental leave to city workers. 

Paid parental leave is also becoming more common in the private sector, with some companies offering up to six months of paid leave. But even the most generous policies pale in comparison to what’s offered in other countries. 

What is paternity leave?

Paternity leave provides new fathers time off work to care for their baby, help their partner rest and recover from childbirth, and bond with their infant. Traditionally, paternity leave didn’t exist, as childcare was seen as the mother's role. Today, however, parents are much more likely to share the responsibility of raising children, resulting in an increased popularity of paternity and parental leave. Some countries even have mandatory paternity leave to encourage shared responsibilities and gender equality.  

What countries have the best paternity leave in 2024?

Japan – 365 days

When it comes to paternity leave, leave laws in Japan are ahead of the curve, offering 12 months to new fathers––the longest paternity leave in the world. While many companies provide flexibility through shared parental leave, Japan offers one full year of paid parental leave exclusively for fathers. This leave is entirely separate from any leave granted to mothers. This is accompanied by a partial allowance paid through the government’s social security program.

Iceland – 180 days

In Iceland, a new legislation was enacted in 2021 that extended the duration of combined maternity and paternity leave to a total of 12 months, split equally between the mother and father (six months each). However, parents are also allowed to transfer up to one month of leave to the other parent, so that one takes seven months and the other takes five. The entire leave is paid at 80% of the person’s average salary. 

Finland- 160 days

Scandinavian countries are champions when it comes to their parental leave, and Finland’s leave policy is no exception. Starting in 2021, Finland gave all parents leave, regardless of their gender or whether they are a child’s biological parents. Under the new law, each parent is given 160 days or about seven months. The first 16 days are paid at 90% of their earnings, and the following days are paid 70% of their income. 

Spain – 112 days

Since 2021, Spain’s leave laws have offered 16 weeks of paternity leave, equal to maternity. Also, fathers can take this leave at the same time as maternity leave, with the first six weeks mandatory post-delivery and the remaining 10 weeks flexible within the baby’s first year. Same-sex couples are granted equal rights, allowing one partner to opt for paternity leave and the other for maternity leave. 100% of the salary is paid.

Lithuania – 90 days

Nordic countries get a lot of attention for their generous leave policies, but Lithuania may beat them all. New moms get 18 weeks (126 days) of partially paid leave, and new fathers get 30 days. Both parents get parental leave until the child is 3 years old (fathers are guaranteed two non-transferable months). During this period, they can receive 18 months at 60% pay or 24 months at 45% and 30%. The remaining days are unpaid.

What countries don’t have paternity leave? 

Some 60 countries don’t offer paternity leave of any kind to fathers, including the US. There has been a push in many countries worldwide to increase paternity leave to promote bonding between father and child and support their partner. 

Although many countries don’t have federally protected paternity leave, the above countries have implemented very generous policies, understanding the importance of fathers being able to spend time with their newborn children, and have put policies in place to make that happen. 

How maternity and paternity leave benefits families and businesses  

Encourages family bonding

Life is so busy nowadays it’s hard to make time for the things that really matter. Maternity and paternity leave allow parents valuable time to bond with their newborns, fostering stronger family connections. This early bonding period helps strengthen family dynamics by encouraging both parents to prioritize their families without the guilt of being absent from work or not bringing in income. They can enjoy this time knowing their jobs are waiting for them upon their return. 

Empowers women to participate in the workforce

Maternity leave promotes gender equality by reducing career barriers for women, who often face the expectation of being primary caregivers. With the assurance of maternity leave, women are more inclined to keep their jobs and pursue growth opportunities, helping close the gap in career advancement between genders. 

Improves the well-being 

Becoming a parent is a major life event that takes a physical and mental toll. Parental leave offers mothers time to recover from childbirth and allows both parents to rest, recuperate, and adapt to the demands of parenthood. This time also benefits children, as it allows parents to establish routines, attend essential medical appointments, and create a stable, nurturing environment, all contributing positively to the child's health and well-being. 

Increase retention rates  

Employees with paid leave and job protection are more likely to return to work post-parenthood, reducing turnover and cutting recruitment and training costs. Some leave policies are state-mandated, while others are enhanced by businesses to benefit their workforce. When companies demonstrate their commitment to supporting family needs, they gain a reputation as a supportive and employee-centered organization, which enhances overall company loyalty and morale. 

How to manage parental leave effectively  

Tracking various types of leave, planning return dates, and covering workloads can be challenging, Things can get even more complex with progressive return-to-work schedules and, possibly, an uptake in doctor's appointments or work-from-home days after their reintegration into the office.  

A comprehensive leave management solution like Vacation Tracker simplifies this by providing clear visibility, automated tracking, and detailed reporting, making parental leave management easy for HR teams and employees alike. 

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