World Bank Group · Length of Paid Paternity Leave
Paid paternity leave by country
How many days of paid leave does the law give a new father?
Of the 190 countries compared in 2025, Slovakia had the highest reading, 196, and 74 countries shared the lowest reading, 0. In the middle country the figure was 3. Among the 190 countries measured in every edition since 1970, the middle one moved from 0 to 3.
Paid paternity leave · 2025
Context statistic
Highest of 190Slovakia
196012025 · values only
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 190 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: József Süveg derivative work: Danapit · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2Photo: Hansueli Krapf · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3Photo: Poco a poco derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
02Every measured country
Paid paternity leave on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 0
- 1–3
- 4–14
- 15–28
- 30–196
- No reading in 2025
- Europe
14
the middle country, of 41 measured · 49 members
Slovakia1967 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Africa
3
the middle country, of 54 measured · 55 members
Mauritius2816 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Americas
2
the middle country, of 35 measured · 48 members
Ecuador1517 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Asia
2
the middle country, of 48 measured · 52 members
2 share 28
23 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Oceania
0
the middle country, of 12 measured · 21 members
Samoa711 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Every region
22 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Western Europe
25
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
Netherlands42
Germany0Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Eastern Asia
14
the middle country, of 6 measured · 8 members
Japan28
Hong Kong7Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Eastern Europe
14
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
Slovakia1962 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Northern Europe
14
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
Iceland1803 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Southern Europe
14
the middle country, of 14 measured · 17 members
Spain133
Montenegro0Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- South America
9
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
Ecuador15
Guyana0Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- South-eastern Asia
5
the middle country, of 11 measured · 11 members
Singapore283 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Eastern Africa
4
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Mauritius284 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Central America
3
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
Costa Rica82 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Middle Africa
2
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Equatorial Guinea92 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Western Africa
2
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Guinea-Bissau154 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Northern Africa
1
the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members
2 share 3
2 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Caribbean
0
the middle country, of 13 measured · 24 members
Dominican Republic212 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Southern Africa
0
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
South Africa104 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Southern Asia
0
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Nepal155 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Western Asia
0
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Cyprus1411 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
2 share 0
2 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Central Asia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.
4 share 0
4 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Melanesia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
4 share 0
4 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Micronesia
4 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau.
4 share 0
4 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Canada, United States.
2 share 0
2 share 0
Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Polynesia
2 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Samoa, Tonga.
Samoa7
Tonga0Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
03The whole field at once
The spread
190 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 3; a quarter are above 14, and a quarter below 0. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 190 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. No rank or position is shown: too many countries share the same value for an order to mean anything. Many countries grant fathers no paid leave at all, and they tie at zero, so no position is shown. This counts paternity leave only: parental leave that either parent may take is a separate entitlement and is not included, so a country with generous shared leave can still read low here.
Showing 25 of 190 countries
Values for 2025. The change column compares 2025 with 2023 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051970–2025 · 55 editions
Over time
Each point is one year of the statute book, as the Bank's report the following year recorded it, with no 2024 point. For most countries the line starts flat at zero and steps up when a law is passed — one of the fastest-changing entitlements the Bank tracks.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 190 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 190 | 3 | 0 – 14 | 3 |
| 2023 | 190 | 3 | 0 – 14 | 3 |
| 2022 | 190 | 2 | 0 – 12 | 2 |
| 2021 | 190 | 2 | 0 – 7 | 2 |
| 2020 | 190 | 1 | 0 – 7 | 1 |
| 2019 | 190 | 1 | 0 – 7 | 1 |
| 2018 | 190 | 1 | 0 – 7 | 1 |
| 2017 | 190 | 1 | 0 – 5 | 1 |
| 2016 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 4 | 0 |
| 2015 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 3 | 0 |
| 2014 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 3 | 0 |
| 2013 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 3 | 0 |
| 2012 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 3 | 0 |
| 2011 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 3 | 0 |
| 2010 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 2 | 0 |
| 2009 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 2 | 0 |
| 2008 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 2 | 0 |
| 2007 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 1 | 0 |
| 2006 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 1 | 0 |
| 2005 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 1 | 0 |
| 2004 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 1 | 0 |
| 2003 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1981 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1974 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1973 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1972 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | 190 | 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 |
062023 → 2025
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
07Across every edition
Paid paternity leave in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
196
Paid paternity leave set in law (calendar days)
Lowest reading on record
Reached 7873 times by 177 countries — shared, so no holder is named
0
Paid paternity leave set in law (calendar days)
Biggest improvement between editions
+196
0 → 196
Biggest decline between editions
−76
76 → 0
Most improved since first measured
+196
0 → 196
At the top most often
22 of 55
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About paid paternity leave
This is how many calendar days of paid leave a country's law reserves for a father when his child is born, as recorded by the World Bank's Women, Business and the Law project every year since 1970. Leave for fathers is widely seen as the legal lever for sharing care between parents.
What the number is: Paid paternity leave set in law (calendar days).
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Work & Labour and Gender & Equality, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Work & LabourGender & EqualityWhich statistics vote, and why
Moves with
Where paid paternity leave is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Women, Business and the LawKeyWorld Bank Group · 190 countries in commonρ 0.48
- Foreign Value Added Share of Gross ExportsOECD · 80 countries in commonρ 0.47
- RISE Renewable Energy Policy ScoreESMAP · 139 countries in commonρ 0.42
Moves against
Where paid paternity leave is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Youth Not in Education, Employment or TrainingILO · 96 countries in commonρ −0.41
- Informal Employment RateILO · 94 countries in commonρ −0.40
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 312 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
More from World Bank Group
11Questions
Paid paternity leave: questions and answers
Which country has the highest paid paternity leave?
Slovakia, at 196, among the 190 countries compared in 2025.
Which country has the lowest paid paternity leave?
74 countries share the lowest reading, 0, among the 190 compared in 2025, so no single country is named.
How many countries does the Length of Paid Paternity Leave cover?
190 in 2025.
What is the world average paid paternity leave?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 190 compared in 2025, the figure was 3.
Is this World Bank Group’s own ranking?
No ranking is shown. World Bank Group publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything, so none is derived.
How often is the Length of Paid Paternity Leave published?
This site holds 55 editions, describing 1970 to 2025.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From World Bank Group, under CC BY 4.0. The World Bank's Women, Business and the Law data: the historical panel for 1971–2024 and the WBL 2026 file for the latest year, stored exactly as each was published. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Length of Paid Paternity Leave — World Bank Group
The World Bank's Women, Business and the Law data: the historical panel for 1971–2024 and the WBL 2026 file for the latest year, stored exactly as each was published.
Newest edition
Report year 2026Data year 2025
Cite the source as: World Bank. Women, Business and the Law. Washington, DC: World Bank Group.
Licence: CC BY 4.0, checked 2026-09-29.
How this page reads the numbers
- No rank or position is shown: World Bank Group publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Slovakia — József Süveg derivative work: Danapit, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Iceland — Hansueli Krapf, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Spain — Poco a poco derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Paid paternity leave by country: Length of Paid Paternity Leave, data from World Bank Group. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/paternity-leave