Length of paid parental leave for mother 2026

Discover how the length of paid parental leave for mothers varies by country, impacting family well-being and workforce participation. Explore the statistics that highlight this critical social issue.

189 data points•Updated 11/26/2025•Global Coverage•Women, Business and the Law, World Bank (WB)•

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Complete Data Rankings

Rank
1	Mongolia	657 days
2	Tajikistan	470.5 days
3	South Korea	365 days
4	Japan	309 days
5	Iceland	288 days
6	Norway	185.5 days
7	United States	183.4 days
8	France	180 days
9	Italy	180 days
10	Luxembourg	180 days
11	Slovenia	130 days
12	Belgium	120 days
13	Croatia	120 days
14	Greece	96 days
15	Canada	94.5 days
16	Sweden	90 days
17	Ireland	68.6 days
18	Germany	60 days
19	Chile	42 days
20	Portugal	42 days
21	Romania	30 days
22	United Arab Emirates	17.5 days
23	Afghanistan	0 days
24	Albania	0 days
25	Algeria	0 days
26	Angola	0 days
27	Antigua and Barbuda	0 days
28	Argentina	0 days
29	Armenia	0 days
30	Australia	0 days
31	Austria	0 days
32	Azerbaijan	0 days
33	Bahamas	0 days
34	Bahrain	0 days
35	Bangladesh	0 days
36	Barbados	0 days
37	Belarus	0 days
38	Belize	0 days
39	Benin	0 days
40	Bhutan	0 days
41	Bolivia	0 days
42	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0 days
43	Botswana	0 days
44	Brazil	0 days
45	Brunei Darussalam	0 days
46	Bulgaria	0 days
47	Burkina Faso	0 days
48	Burundi	0 days
49	Cabo Verde	0 days
50	Cambodia	0 days
51	Cameroon	0 days
52	Central African Republic	0 days
53	Chad	0 days
54	China	0 days
55	China, Hong Kong SAR	0 days
56	Colombia	0 days
57	Comoros	0 days
58	Congo	0 days
59	Congo, Democratic Republic of the	0 days
60	Costa Rica	0 days
61	Côte d'Ivoire	0 days
62	Cyprus	0 days
63	Czech Republic	0 days
64	Denmark	0 days
65	Djibouti	0 days
66	Dominica	0 days
67	Dominican Republic	0 days
68	Ecuador	0 days
69	Egypt	0 days
70	El Salvador	0 days
71	Equatorial Guinea	0 days
72	Eritrea	0 days
73	Estonia	0 days
74	Eswatini	0 days
75	Ethiopia	0 days
76	Fiji	0 days
77	Finland	0 days
78	Gabon	0 days
79	Gambia	0 days
80	Georgia	0 days
81	Ghana	0 days
82	Grenada	0 days
83	Guatemala	0 days
84	Guinea	0 days
85	Guinea-Bissau	0 days
86	Guyana	0 days
87	Haiti	0 days
88	Honduras	0 days
89	Hungary	0 days
90	India	0 days
91	Indonesia	0 days
92	Iran	0 days
93	Iraq	0 days
94	Israel	0 days
95	Jamaica	0 days
96	Jordan	0 days
97	Kazakhstan	0 days
98	Kenya	0 days
99	Kiribati	0 days
100	Kosovo	0 days
101	Kuwait	0 days
102	Kyrgyzstan	0 days
103	Laos	0 days
104	Latvia	0 days
105	Lebanon	0 days
106	Lesotho	0 days
107	Liberia	0 days
108	Libya	0 days
109	Lithuania	0 days
110	Madagascar	0 days
111	Malawi	0 days
112	Malaysia	0 days
113	Maldives	0 days
114	Mali	0 days
115	Malta	0 days
116	Marshall Islands	0 days
117	Mauritania	0 days
118	Mauritius	0 days
119	Mexico	0 days
120	Micronesia (Fed. States of)	0 days
121	Montenegro	0 days
122	Morocco	0 days
123	Mozambique	0 days
124	Myanmar	0 days
125	Namibia	0 days
126	Nepal	0 days
127	Netherlands	0 days
128	New Zealand	0 days
129	Nicaragua	0 days
130	Niger	0 days
131	Nigeria	0 days
132	North Macedonia	0 days
133	Oman	0 days
134	Pakistan	0 days
135	Palau	0 days
136	Panama	0 days
137	Papua New Guinea	0 days
138	Paraguay	0 days
139	Peru	0 days
140	Philippines	0 days
141	Poland	0 days
142	Puerto Rico	0 days
143	Qatar	0 days
144	Republic of Moldova	0 days
145	Russia	0 days
146	Rwanda	0 days
147	Saint Kitts and Nevis	0 days
148	Saint Lucia	0 days
149	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	0 days
150	Samoa	0 days
151	San Marino	0 days
152	Sao Tome and Principe	0 days
153	Saudi Arabia	0 days
154	Senegal	0 days
155	Serbia	0 days
156	Seychelles	0 days
157	Sierra Leone	0 days
158	Singapore	0 days
159	Slovakia	0 days
160	Solomon Islands	0 days
161	Somalia	0 days
162	South Africa	0 days
163	South Sudan	0 days
164	Spain	0 days
165	Sri Lanka	0 days
166	State of Palestine	0 days
167	Sudan	0 days
168	Suriname	0 days
169	Switzerland	0 days
170	Syrian Arab Republic	0 days
171	Tanzania	0 days
172	Thailand	0 days
173	Timor-Leste	0 days
174	Togo	0 days
175	Tonga	0 days
176	Trinidad and Tobago	0 days
177	Tunisia	0 days
178	Turkey	0 days
179	Uganda	0 days
180	Ukraine	0 days
181	United Kingdom	0 days
182	Uruguay	0 days
183	Uzbekistan	0 days
184	Vanuatu	0 days
185	Venezuela	0 days
186	Vietnam	0 days
187	Yemen	0 days
188	Zambia	0 days
189	Zimbabwe	0 days

↑Top 10 Countries

Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.

↓Bottom 10 Countries

Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.

Analysis & Context

In 2026, Mongolia leads the world with the longest Length of paid parental leave for mother at 657 days, while the global range spans from 0 to 657 days. The global average for this metric is 20.68 days, highlighting stark disparities in maternal leave policies across different countries.

Global Disparities in Paid Parental Leave for Mothers

The range of Length of paid parental leave for mother in 2026 reveals significant global disparities. While Mongolia offers the most generous leave at 657 days, countries like Brazil, Botswana, and Bangladesh provide no paid leave at all. These extremes point to diverse national policies and priorities. In wealthier nations, such as Norway and South Korea, with leave durations of 185.5 and 365 days respectively, there is often a strong emphasis on work-life balance and gender equality. In contrast, countries with no paid leave might lack the economic resources or policy frameworks to support extensive parental leave.

Economic and Policy Drivers of Parental Leave Length

The provision of paid parental leave is often influenced by a country's economic capacity and social policies. For instance, Iceland and Norway, with leave lengths of 288 and 185.5 days respectively, have robust social welfare systems that prioritize family well-being. These countries often view extended parental leave as an investment in future generations and gender equality. Conversely, nations like Belarus and Belize, with zero days of paid leave, may face economic constraints or prioritize immediate economic productivity over long-term social benefits.

Year-over-Year Trends and Notable Changes

Between 2025 and 2026, the average length of paid parental leave for mothers increased by 3.9% globally. Iceland saw a significant rise of 36 days (14.3%), reflecting its commitment to enhancing family support systems. Similarly, the United States increased its leave length by 18.2 days (11.0%), marking a shift towards improved parental benefits. On the other hand, Tajikistan experienced a minor decrease of 0.90 days (-0.2%), which may indicate budgetary constraints or policy adjustments. Notably, countries like Mongolia and South Korea maintained their leave durations, suggesting stable policy environments.

Implications for Workforce Participation and Family Well-being

The length of paid parental leave directly impacts workforce participation and family well-being. Longer leave periods, as seen in Japan with 309 days, enable mothers to recover from childbirth and bond with their children without financial stress. This can lead to better outcomes in child development and maternal health. However, in countries with no paid leave, such as Barbados and Bhutan, mothers may face economic pressures to return to work prematurely, potentially affecting family dynamics and long-term economic growth. These disparities in leave length underscore the importance of policy frameworks that balance economic productivity with social welfare.

Data Source

Women, Business and the Law, World Bank (WB)

The Women, Business and the Law (WBL) team invites collaboration from public and private sector experts on data collection and dissemination to help create jobs for women and boost economic growth globally. The next WBL report is expected to be published in March 2026. If you are a private sector expert interested in contributing, please refer to the expert contributors page for more information. For the first time, governments are invited to nominate focal points to coordinate the completion of questionnaires. If you wish to contribute, please refer to the government engagement page.

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Historical Data by Year

Explore Length of paid parental leave for mother data across different years. Compare trends and see how statistics have changed over time.

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