The vast majority of countries worldwide offer some form of paid maternity leave. Out of nearly 200 nations, only a handful do not guarantee it at the national level, and the United States is the most notable among them. The duration, pay rate, and funding structure vary enormously, from a few weeks at partial pay to over a year at full salary.
The Global Picture
Paid maternity leave is the norm almost everywhere. Countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania all mandate it by law. The International Labour Organization sets the global benchmark: its Maternity Protection Convention states that leave should be at least 14 weeks, with cash benefits covering no less than two-thirds of a woman’s previous earnings. A further recommendation pushes that to 18 weeks and full pay. Most countries meet or exceed the 14-week minimum, though the generosity of pay varies widely.
The United States, Papua New Guinea, and a small number of Pacific Island nations are the only countries that guarantee no national paid maternity leave. The U.S. offers 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave through the Family and Medical Leave Act, but that comes with significant restrictions: you must have worked for your employer at least 12 months, logged at least 1,250 hours in the past year, and work at a location with 50 or more employees within 75 miles. Many workers don’t qualify, and even those who do receive no paycheck during that time.
Countries With the Longest Leave
A handful of nations stand out for offering exceptionally long paid leave periods. Bulgaria leads the world at roughly 58.6 weeks of paid maternity leave. Greece provides 43 weeks, the United Kingdom 39 weeks, Slovakia 34 weeks, and Croatia 30 weeks. Several Scandinavian and Eastern European countries also offer leave periods well over six months when combined parental leave is included.
Length alone doesn’t tell the full story, though. The UK’s 39 weeks, for instance, starts at 90% of earnings for the first six weeks, then drops to a flat weekly rate that replaces less than half of the average worker’s pay. Bulgaria, by contrast, maintains a higher replacement rate across its longer leave period. This gap between “weeks available” and “weeks well-paid” is one of the biggest sources of confusion when comparing countries.
How Much of Your Salary You Actually Get
Across OECD countries, maternity leave benefits replace about 77% of previous earnings on average. Thirteen OECD nations replace 100% of an average earner’s salary during maternity leave, making the financial impact of having a baby relatively small for workers in those countries.
English-speaking countries tend to be the least generous on this front. Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom all replace less than 50% of gross earnings for a mother on average wages. That means even in countries with decent leave lengths, the financial pressure to return to work early can be significant. For higher earners (those making 150% of the average wage), the replacement rate drops further. The OECD average for that group falls to about 69%, and only 11 countries still offer full replacement at that income level.
Once maternity leave ends and longer-term parental leave kicks in, the pay drops sharply almost everywhere. Parental leave benefits replace only about 48% of previous earnings on average across OECD countries. Chile is the only OECD nation that fully replaces average net earnings during the parental leave phase.
How Countries Pay for It
The money for paid maternity leave comes from three basic models, and most countries use some combination of them.
- Government-funded: New Zealand and Australia both pay maternity benefits directly from general tax revenue. Australia funds 18 weeks of paid leave this way.
- Shared employer-employee insurance: Canada runs its parental leave through the Employment Insurance system, where employees contribute 1.66% of their income and employers pay 1.4 times the employee’s contribution. The UK uses a hybrid model where the government allows employers to reclaim a percentage of the maternity pay they’ve already paid out to workers.
- Employee-funded insurance: Several U.S. states that have created their own paid leave programs fund them entirely through employee payroll deductions. California, New York, and Massachusetts all use this approach.
The funding model matters because it shapes who actually has access. Employer-liability systems, where businesses must pay out of pocket, can create incentives for smaller companies to avoid hiring women of childbearing age. Social insurance pools spread the cost and reduce that risk.
Where the United States Stands
The federal government does not require paid family leave of any kind. The FMLA’s 12 weeks of unpaid leave is the only national guarantee, and its eligibility requirements exclude roughly 40% of workers.
Individual states have started filling the gap. As of 2025, several states have active or newly launched paid leave programs. Delaware and Maine both enacted paid leave laws that took effect in 2025 and 2026, joining states like California, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Vermont’s program, enacted in 2022, began phasing in starting in 2023. These state programs typically provide partial wage replacement for a set number of weeks, funded through payroll taxes. But if you live in a state without its own program, you’re left with whatever your employer voluntarily offers.
Recent Changes Around the World
Paid leave policies aren’t static. Several countries expanded their programs in 2024 and 2025. South Korea extended both the duration and payment level of its leave. Colombia increased both how long leave lasts and how much it pays. Poland added extra leave time for premature births, recognizing that parents of preterm babies face longer hospital stays and more complex care needs. Slovakia and Slovenia both raised benefit levels, and Greece increased its benefit amount in line with a minimum wage hike. Italy introduced new payment provisions for employees finishing maternity or paternity leave after the end of 2024.
The trend globally is toward longer leave, higher pay, and broader eligibility. Lithuania is also adjusting its leave duration. These incremental expansions reflect growing evidence that adequate paid leave improves maternal health, supports breastfeeding, and reduces infant mortality, benefits that extend well beyond the family receiving them.
Key Regional Differences
Europe is by far the most generous region. Nordic countries combine shorter maternity-specific leave with long, well-paid parental leave that can be shared between parents. Eastern European nations like Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Croatia offer some of the longest total leave periods in the world. Western European countries like Germany and France fall somewhere in between, with moderate maternity leave topped up by additional parental leave months.
In Latin America, most countries mandate 12 to 18 weeks of maternity leave, often at full pay or close to it. Brazil offers 120 days (about 17 weeks), and some employers in Brazil’s “Citizen Company” program extend that to six months. Chile and Colombia are among the region’s most generous.
African nations vary considerably. Many mandate 14 weeks in line with the ILO standard, though enforcement and coverage in the informal economy remain significant challenges. South Africa provides four months of maternity leave, with benefits paid through an unemployment insurance fund at a reduced rate.
In Asia, policies range from South Korea’s recently expanded leave to Japan’s generous system that provides around 67% of wages for the first six months, then drops to 50%. India mandates 26 weeks for women at companies with 10 or more employees, one of the longer periods in the region. China offers 98 days nationally, with many provinces adding 30 to 90 additional days.
Australia and New Zealand both fund their programs through government revenue rather than employer mandates. Australia’s 18 weeks of government-funded leave is paid at the national minimum wage rather than as a percentage of the worker’s salary, which means higher earners see a proportionally larger pay cut.