According to psychologist and pediatricians, it’s really important for parents to communicate with their newborns and spend as much time as possible with them in the first months after they are born. The governments of most countries support this opinion, and they let moms (somewhere dads too) take maternity leave. The length of this leave, however, differs from country to country. We have gathered information about how many days the maternity leave lasts in different countries in the world, and what other conditions governments offer for moms and dads.
1. Croatia
The maternity leave in Croatia lasts for more than one year. To be exact, it lasts for 410 days, and the Health Insurance Fund pays mom 100% of their monthly salary until the baby is 6 months old.
2. Great Britain
The parental leave in Great Britain lasts for 365 days. The mom is only bound to take a 2-week-long maternity leave, and then it’s up to the parents to decide whether the mom or the dad will take care of the baby.
3. Sweden
The parental leave can be split between the parents in Sweden. It lasts for 240 days, and 60 of them belong to the father too.
4. Russia
The parental leave lasts for 140 days in Russia, but mom takes childcare leave until their baby turns 1 and a half years old. They’re paid 40% of their salary in this case, and this leave can be even prolonged for 1 and a half more years, but without their salary.
5. Kazakhstan
The maternity leave in Kazakhstan lasts for 126 days. However, it can be extended for up to 10 weeks if 2 or more babies are born, or in the case of labor complications.
6. Finland
The parental leave in Finland lasts for 126 days, but mothers may bring their children to a preschool or hire a nanny provided by the government instead of it.
7. Portugal
The parental leave in Portugal lasts for 120 days.
8. China
The parental leave in China lasts from 90 days. “From” means that the maternity leave depends on the woman’s age: the older she is, the longer her leave will be.
9. Iceland
The parental leave lasts for 90 days in Iceland. But, it follows the ‘3-3-3’ formula. 3 months are given to the mother, 3 months are given to the father, and 3 months remain to share between both parents.
10. The United Arab Emirates
The parental leave in UAE lasts from 45 days. The length depends on a woman’s job: a woman who works in a private company may have a 45-day-long leave, but a woman who works with the government has a 90-day-long maternity leave.
The governments of most countries protect mothers’ rights by letting them spend time with their newborns and regulating the necessary financial support. Financial support regulations and maternity allowances are not governed by a law in only 2% of countries, which includes the United States.