Out of 185 countries and territories surveyed by the International Labour Organization, 183 provide cash benefits during maternity leave through social insurance, employer liability, or some combination.1International Labour Organization. Maternity and Paternity at Work The countries with paid parental leave span nearly every economy in the world, and the systems range from a few weeks at partial pay to well over a year at close to full salary. The United States is one of the few high-income nations with no federal paid parental leave law.
The Global Minimum Standard
The International Labour Organization’s Maternity Protection Convention (No. 183), adopted in 2000, sets the floor most national systems are measured against. It requires at least 14 weeks of maternity leave, with cash benefits of no less than two-thirds of the parent’s previous earnings, funded through social insurance or public funds rather than direct employer liability.2International Labour Organization. Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183) The public-funding requirement is designed to prevent employers from discriminating against women of childbearing age in hiring.
Many countries exceed this baseline. The 14-week, two-thirds standard functions as a compliance floor, and the trend in both developed and developing nations has moved toward longer durations and higher replacement rates. Countries that fall short usually fund maternity leave entirely through employer mandates, which correlates with lower take-up and uneven enforcement.
The Most Generous Systems: The Nordics
Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, and Finland consistently rank at the top on both duration and pay. A shared feature is the “daddy quota”: a block of weeks reserved exclusively for the father or second parent that cannot be transferred. If it isn’t used, it disappears. The mechanism has been effective at normalizing paternal involvement in early childcare.
Sweden
Sweden offers 480 days of parental benefit per child, split equally at 240 days each. For 390 of those days, the benefit is about 80 percent of the parent’s income; the remaining 90 days pay a flat SEK 180 per day.3Försäkringskassan. Parental Benefit Parents can use the days full-time, part-time, or intermittently until the child turns twelve.
Norway
Norwegian parents choose between 49 weeks at 100 percent of earnings or 59 weeks at 80 percent, both subject to an annual earnings cap.4Nordic Health and Welfare Statistics. Daily Cash Benefits at Childbirth and Parental Leave The father’s quota has been 15 weeks since 2018, matched by a 15-week mother’s quota and a 16-week shared period the couple divides as they choose.5Statistics Norway. How Many Fathers Take Paternity Leave?
Iceland
Each parent in Iceland receives six months. Up to six weeks can be transferred to the other parent; the rest is use-it-or-lose-it.6Ísland.is. Application for Parental Leave – Right to Maternity and Paternity Leave Benefits pay 80 percent of average wages, capped at ISK 900,000 per month for children born in 2026.7Ísland.is. Application for Parental Leave – Amounts and Calculations
Denmark and Finland
Denmark provides 52 weeks of total leave. Each parent gets 24 weeks after birth, with nine of those non-transferable for employees; unused non-transferable weeks are forfeited if not taken before the child turns one.8Nordic Cooperation. Parental Benefit in Denmark Finland reformed its system in 2022. Each parent receives about 160 weekdays (roughly 6.6 months), of which 63 can be transferred. Benefits start at around 70 percent of earnings and taper for higher incomes.
European Union Minimums
All EU member states must meet the standards of Directive 2019/1158, the Work-Life Balance Directive. It guarantees fathers or equivalent second parents at least ten working days of paid paternity leave around the birth, paid at the level a worker would receive during sick leave.9EUR-Lex. Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council Separately, each parent has an individual right to four months of parental leave, and at least two of those months cannot be transferred; unused non-transferable months are lost.10European Commission. EU Legislation on Family Leaves and Work-Life Balance The directive also gives working parents the right to request flexible arrangements, including reduced hours and remote work, until the child turns eight.
These are minimums. Member states routinely exceed them, and the Nordic systems described above sit well above the floor.
Asia and Oceania
Japan and South Korea
Japan lets each parent take childcare leave until the child turns one, extendable to two in certain circumstances. Employment insurance pays 67 percent of salary for the first 180 days and 50 percent afterward. A program launched in April 2025 adds an extra 13 percent during the initial period when both parents take leave, bringing the combined replacement rate to 80 percent. Eligibility requires twelve months of employment-insurance enrollment in the preceding two years.
South Korea offers each parent up to a year. In 2025, the government raised the monthly benefit cap from 1.5 million won to 2.5 million won and stopped withholding 25 percent of benefits until the employee returned to work. Cultural pressure means many fathers in both countries still don’t take the leave they’re entitled to, though take-up rates have been climbing.
Australia and New Zealand
Both use flat-rate government payments rather than earnings-based benefits. Australia’s Paid Parental Leave scheme pays at the national minimum wage, and families with a child born or adopted from July 2026 can receive up to 26 weeks to share between parents.11Services Australia. About the Paid Parental Leave Scheme12Inland Revenue. Employees – How We Work Out Your Paid Parental Leave Entitlement13Inland Revenue. Paid Parental Leave Overview
India
India’s Maternity Benefit Act provides 26 weeks of paid leave for women with fewer than two surviving children, and 12 weeks for those who already have two or more. Women who legally adopt a child under three months old also receive 12 weeks.14India Code. The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 Employers pay full salary. The law applies to establishments with ten or more employees, leaving much of India’s informal workforce outside its reach.
The Americas
Canada
Canada funds parental leave through federal Employment Insurance. After up to 15 weeks of maternity benefits, parents choose between two parental tracks. The standard option provides up to 40 weeks shared between parents (35 maximum for one parent) at 55 percent of average weekly insurable earnings, capped at $729 per week. The extended option runs up to 69 weeks shared (61 maximum for one parent) at 33 percent, capped at $437 per week.15Government of Canada. EI Maternity and Parental Benefits – What These Benefits Offer Many employers voluntarily top up the government payment, though none are required to.
Brazil and Chile
Brazil guarantees 120 calendar days of maternity leave at 100 percent of salary, with no earnings cap. Employers in the voluntary Empresa Cidadã program can extend that to six months. Chile provides 18 weeks of maternity leave, and mothers returning part-time can extend the post-birth portion by another six weeks. Chilean fathers can receive some of the transferable weeks if the mother chooses to share them.
United States
The United States has no federal paid parental leave law. The Family and Medical Leave Act provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for the birth or placement of a child, but only for employees who have worked at least 1,250 hours in the past year for an employer with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius.16Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 29 – 2612 Leave Requirement Roughly 40 percent of the workforce is ineligible on those criteria alone.
Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have enacted their own mandatory paid family leave programs, funded through payroll contributions. These generally replace 60 to 90 percent of wages up to a cap, for durations from about 8 to 20 weeks. Another ten states run voluntary systems that let employers offer paid leave through private insurance. For workers elsewhere, access depends entirely on the employer’s policy.
Africa and the Middle East
Paid maternity leave exists across most of Africa, though benefit levels and enforcement vary. South Africa entitles workers to four consecutive months, with income replacement available through the Unemployment Insurance Fund.17South African Department of Employment and Labour. Basic Guide to Maternity Leave Kenya provides three months of fully paid maternity leave funded by the employer. Paternity leave in both countries is far shorter or absent.
In the Middle East, the UAE introduced five working days of paid parental leave for private-sector employees alongside existing maternity entitlements of 45 calendar days for private-sector workers and 90 days for government employees. Gulf states have been expanding parental leave in recent years, though most of the region still focuses on maternity leave rather than gender-neutral parental benefits.
Job Protection When Leave Ends
Pay during leave matters less if the job isn’t there afterward. Most countries with paid parental leave also guarantee reinstatement to the same or an equivalent position. In the EU, Directive 2019/1158 requires member states to protect workers from dismissal or detrimental treatment for using their leave rights.9EUR-Lex. Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council Under the U.S. FMLA, eligible employees returning from leave are entitled to their original position or one with equivalent pay, benefits, and working conditions, even if the employer filled the role during their absence.18U.S. Department of Labor. Family and Medical Leave Act Advisor – Employee Reinstatement
ILO Convention 183 goes further, prohibiting employers from terminating a worker during maternity leave or during the notice period following their return, except for reasons unrelated to pregnancy or leave-taking.2International Labour Organization. Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183) Enforcement varies enormously in practice. Countries with strong labor inspectorates and clear penalty structures see better compliance than those where workers must pursue remedies through long litigation.