Paid maternity, paternity and parental leave, in weeks
Longer paid leaves for mothers than fathers are common around the world. The U.S. alone among wealthy nations guarantees no paid leave for parents, although most federal workers will soon get 12 weeks regardless of their gender.
Total paid leave available to mothers*
Total paid leave reserved for fathers
Australia
18
2
Canada
51
0
United States
0
0
France
42
28
Germany
58
8.7
Iceland
26
13
Japan
58
52
Mexico
12
1
Sweden
55.7
14.3
United Kingdom
39
2
*Includes weeks of maternity leave, plus weeks of shared parental leave not reserved for fathers. Mothers typically use most or all of the shared parental leave available to them.
