Maternity Leave by Country

How the US compares to 40 countries around the world

0 weeks US Federal Paid Leave
25 weeks Average (40 Countries)
82 weeks Most Generous (Estonia)
Home›Maternity Leave by State›Global Comparison

🌍 The US is an Outlier

The United States is the only OECD country - out of 38 wealthy, developed nations - with no federal paid maternity leave. Globally, only about 7 countries lack a national paid maternity program. The US joins Papua New Guinea, Suriname, and several Pacific Island nations in this group.

While FMLA provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave, it only covers ~60% of workers. Meanwhile, 13 US states + DC have enacted their own paid programs - see your state's benefits.

🇪🇪 Estonia
82 wks
🇸🇪 Sweden
69 wks
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
59 wks
🇩🇰 Denmark
52 wks
🇮🇸 Iceland
52 wks
🇳🇴 Norway
49 wks
🇫🇮 Finland
46 wks
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
39 wks
🇺🇸 United States
0 wks

Sources: OECD Family Database (2025), ILO (2024)

📊 Paid Leave Comparison

Average paid maternity leave: 25 weeks · Average pay rate: 90% of salary

# Country Region Maternity Weeks ▼ Pay Rate Paternity Weeks Who Pays
1 🇪🇪 Estonia Eastern Europe 82 100% 4 Government
2 🇸🇪 Sweden Nordic Countries 69 80% 13 Government
3 🇧🇬 Bulgaria Eastern Europe 59 90% 2 Government
4 🇩🇰 Denmark Nordic Countries 52 100% 11 Government
5 🇮🇸 Iceland Nordic Countries 52 80% 26 Government
6 🇳🇴 Norway Nordic Countries 49 100% 15 Government
7 🇫🇮 Finland Nordic Countries 46 70% 23 Government
8 🇬🇧 United Kingdom Western Europe 39 90% 2 Employer
9 🇨🇱 Chile Americas 30 100% 1 Government
10 🇨🇿 Czech Republic Eastern Europe 28 70% 2 Government
11 🇮🇪 Ireland Western Europe 26 €274/wk 2 Government
12 🇳🇿 New Zealand Asia-Pacific 26 NZ$789/wk 0 Government
13 🇮🇳 India Asia-Pacific 26 100% 0 Employer
14 🇭🇺 Hungary Eastern Europe 24 70% 1 Government
15 🇮🇹 Italy Southern Europe 20 80% 1 Government
16 🇵🇱 Poland Eastern Europe 20 100% 2 Government
17 🇷🇴 Romania Eastern Europe 18 85% 2 Government
18 🇱🇹 Lithuania Eastern Europe 18 77% 4 Government
19 🇦🇺 Australia Asia-Pacific 18 A$916/wk 2 Government
20 🇵🇹 Portugal Southern Europe 17 100% 4 Government
21 🇬🇷 Greece Southern Europe 17 100% 2 Mixed
22 🇧🇷 Brazil Americas 17 100% 1 Government
23 🇿🇦 South Africa Middle East & Africa 17 60% 1 Government
24 🇫🇷 France Western Europe 16 100% 4 Government
25 🇳🇱 Netherlands Western Europe 16 100% 6 Government
26 🇦🇹 Austria Western Europe 16 100% 4 Government
27 🇪🇸 Spain Southern Europe 16 100% 16 Government
28 🇸🇬 Singapore Asia-Pacific 16 100% 4 Mixed
29 🇧🇪 Belgium Western Europe 15 82% 3 Government
30 🇨🇦 Canada Americas 15 55% 5 Government
31 🇮🇱 Israel Middle East & Africa 15 100% 0 Government
32 🇩🇪 Germany Western Europe 14 100% 0 Mixed
33 🇨🇭 Switzerland Western Europe 14 80% 2 Government
34 🇯🇵 Japan Asia-Pacific 14 67% 52 Government
35 🇨🇳 China Asia-Pacific 14 100% 2 Government
36 🇰🇷 South Korea Asia-Pacific 13 100% 3 Mixed
37 🇦🇷 Argentina Americas 13 100% 0 Government
38 🇲🇽 Mexico Americas 12 100% 1 Government
39 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates Middle East & Africa 9 100% 1 Employer
40 🇺🇸 United States Americas 0 - 0 N/A

🗺️ Regional Breakdown

Nordic Countries

🇸🇪 Sweden 69 wks
  • 🇸🇪 Sweden 69 wks · 80%
  • 🇩🇰 Denmark 52 wks · 100%
  • 🇮🇸 Iceland 52 wks · 80%
  • 🇳🇴 Norway 49 wks · 100%
  • 🇫🇮 Finland 46 wks · 70%

Western Europe

🇬🇧 United Kingdom 39 wks
  • 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 39 wks · 90%
  • 🇮🇪 Ireland 26 wks · €274/wk
  • 🇫🇷 France 16 wks · 100%
  • 🇳🇱 Netherlands 16 wks · 100%
  • 🇦🇹 Austria 16 wks · 100%
  • 🇧🇪 Belgium 15 wks · 82%
  • 🇩🇪 Germany 14 wks · 100%
  • 🇨🇭 Switzerland 14 wks · 80%

Southern Europe

🇮🇹 Italy 20 wks
  • 🇮🇹 Italy 20 wks · 80%
  • 🇵🇹 Portugal 17 wks · 100%
  • 🇬🇷 Greece 17 wks · 100%
  • 🇪🇸 Spain 16 wks · 100%

Eastern Europe

🇪🇪 Estonia 82 wks
  • 🇪🇪 Estonia 82 wks · 100%
  • 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 59 wks · 90%
  • 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 28 wks · 70%
  • 🇭🇺 Hungary 24 wks · 70%
  • 🇵🇱 Poland 20 wks · 100%
  • 🇷🇴 Romania 18 wks · 85%
  • 🇱🇹 Lithuania 18 wks · 77%

Asia-Pacific

🇳🇿 New Zealand 26 wks
  • 🇳🇿 New Zealand 26 wks · NZ$789/wk
  • 🇮🇳 India 26 wks · 100%
  • 🇦🇺 Australia 18 wks · A$916/wk
  • 🇸🇬 Singapore 16 wks · 100%
  • 🇯🇵 Japan 14 wks · 67%
  • 🇨🇳 China 14 wks · 100%
  • 🇰🇷 South Korea 13 wks · 100%

Americas

🇨🇱 Chile 30 wks
  • 🇨🇱 Chile 30 wks · 100%
  • 🇧🇷 Brazil 17 wks · 100%
  • 🇨🇦 Canada 15 wks · 55%
  • 🇦🇷 Argentina 13 wks · 100%
  • 🇲🇽 Mexico 12 wks · 100%
  • 🇺🇸 United States 0 wks · -

Middle East & Africa

🇿🇦 South Africa 17 wks
  • 🇿🇦 South Africa 17 wks · 60%
  • 🇮🇱 Israel 15 wks · 100%
  • 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 9 wks · 100%

💡 Key Facts

  • 82% of Americans support paid maternity leave - making it as popular as chocolate. (Ohio State University)
  • The WHO recommends a minimum of 16 weeks of maternity leave - only 7 countries fail to meet this standard.
  • Bulgaria offers the world's longest paid maternity leave at 410 days (58.6 weeks) at 90% salary.
  • Estonia provides ~82 weeks of paid parental leave at 100% salary - enough time for a baby to learn to walk, talk, and celebrate their first birthday.
  • Spain leads in gender equality with 16 weeks at 100% pay for both mothers and fathers, non-transferable.
  • The global average paid paternity leave is just 4 days - but 35 of 38 OECD countries now offer some form of earmarked leave for fathers.
  • The OECD average paid maternity leave is 18.5 weeks - the US is the only OECD member at zero.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has the longest maternity leave?

Estonia offers the longest paid parental leave at approximately 82 weeks (over 18 months) at 100% salary, followed by Bulgaria with 58.6 weeks (410 days) at 90% salary. Several Eastern European countries offer extended childcare leave lasting 2-3 years.

Does the United States have paid maternity leave?

No. The United States is the only OECD country (out of 38 member nations) with no federal paid maternity leave. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave, but only covers about 60% of workers. However, 13 states and DC have enacted their own paid family leave programs.

How does the US compare to other countries on maternity leave?

The US is a significant outlier. Among 40 countries compared, the average paid maternity leave is 25 weeks. The US offers 0 weeks of federal paid leave, making it one of only about 7 countries worldwide - alongside Papua New Guinea, Suriname, and several Pacific Island nations - with no national paid maternity program.

What is the average maternity leave in the world?

According to the ILO (2024), the global average paid maternity leave is approximately 24.7 weeks. The OECD average among developed nations is about 18.5 weeks. The WHO recommends a minimum of 16 weeks.

Which country has the best paternity leave?

Spain offers the most generous paternity leave with 16 weeks at 100% salary - full parity with maternity leave. Iceland follows with 6 months (26 weeks) per parent at 80% pay. Japan offers up to 1 year of childcare leave for fathers, though uptake remains low at around 17%.

How many countries have paid maternity leave?

According to the ILO, approximately 180 out of 186 countries surveyed provide some form of paid maternity leave. Only about 7 countries have no national paid maternity leave policy, including the United States.

Which countries offer equal leave for mothers and fathers?

Spain and Iceland lead in parental leave equality. Spain offers 16 weeks at 100% pay to both parents (non-transferable). Iceland provides 6 months per parent at 80% pay. Finland\'s 2022 reform gives each parent 160 days. The global trend is toward earmarked, non-transferable leave for fathers.

Why doesn't the US have paid maternity leave?

The US is unique among wealthy nations in treating parental leave as a private employer benefit rather than a public social program. Factors include political polarization around government-mandated benefits, strong employer lobbying, a cultural emphasis on individual responsibility, and the decentralized nature of US labor policy. Several states have enacted their own programs, and federal proposals have been introduced repeatedly but not passed.

What Can You Get?

While the US has no federal program, 13 states + DC offer paid family leave. See what your state provides and plan your personal leave timeline.

Your State's Benefits → Plan My Leave →

📋 Sources

Data last updated February 2026. Individual country sources listed in each country's note.