WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Is paid leave available for both parents of infants?

No, neither parent means that there is no paid leave available for parents of infants.

Mothers only means that only paid leave specifically designated for mothers of infants is available and there is no gender-neutral leave or paternity leave available.

Mother-specific entitlement, but can be transferred to father means that there is leave available for either parent to take, but fathers can only take leave if mothers transfer some or all of their leave to them.

Both parents means that there is leave available for either parent to take, whether it is through maternity or paternity leave specifically for mothers and fathers, gender-neutral parental leave that can be used by either parent (including transferable maternity leave), or a combination of these types of leave.

When it is available, paternity leave is often significantly shorter in duration than leave for mothers. However, some countries offer bonuses in the form of parental leave length extensions or additional payments if a portion of the leave is used by both mothers and fathers to encourage fathers to take advantage of the available leave.

Countries

Marshall Islands - No, neither parent

Federated States of Micronesia - No, neither parent

Nauru - No, neither parent

Palau - No, neither parent

Papua New Guinea - No, neither parent

Tonga - No, neither parent

United States of America - No, neither parent

Antigua and Barbuda - Mothers only

Bahamas - Mothers only

Bangladesh - Mothers only

Barbados - Mothers only

Belize - Mothers only

Botswana - Mothers only

Brunei - Mothers only

Cambodia - Mothers only

Cameroon - Mothers only

Central African Republic - Mothers only

Comoros - Mothers only

Republic of the Congo - Mothers only

Costa Rica - Mothers only

Dominica - Mothers only

Egypt - Mothers only

Eritrea - Mothers only

Ghana - Mothers only

Grenada - Mothers only

Guinea - Mothers only

Guinea-Bissau - Mothers only

Guyana - Mothers only

Haiti - Mothers only

Honduras - Mothers only

India - Mothers only

Iran - Mothers only

Iraq - Mothers only

Jamaica - Mothers only

Kazakhstan - Mothers only

Kiribati - Mothers only

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Mothers only

Kuwait - Mothers only

Kyrgyzstan - Mothers only

Laos - Mothers only

Lebanon - Mothers only

Lesotho - Mothers only

Liberia - Mothers only

Libya - Mothers only

Liechtenstein - Mothers only

Madagascar - Mothers only

Malaysia - Mothers only

Namibia - Mothers only

Niger - Mothers only

Nigeria - Mothers only

Oman - Mothers only

Pakistan - Mothers only

Qatar - Mothers only

Sao Tome and Principe - Mothers only

Senegal - Mothers only

Sierra Leone - Mothers only

Solomon Islands - Mothers only

Somalia - Mothers only

Sri Lanka - Mothers only

St. Kitts and Nevis - Mothers only

St. Lucia - Mothers only

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Mothers only

Sudan - Mothers only

Eswatini - Mothers only

Syria - Mothers only

Tajikistan - Mothers only

Thailand - Mothers only

Trinidad and Tobago - Mothers only

Vanuatu - Mothers only

Yemen - Mothers only

Zimbabwe - Mothers only

Israel - Mother-specific entitlement, but can be transferred to father

New Zealand - Mother-specific entitlement, but can be transferred to father

Afghanistan - Entitlement for both parents

Albania - Entitlement for both parents

Algeria - Entitlement for both parents

Andorra - Entitlement for both parents

Angola - Entitlement for both parents

Argentina - Entitlement for both parents

Armenia - Entitlement for both parents

Australia - Entitlement for both parents

Austria - Entitlement for both parents

Azerbaijan - Entitlement for both parents

Bahrain - Entitlement for both parents

Belarus - Entitlement for both parents

Belgium - Entitlement for both parents

Benin - Entitlement for both parents

Bhutan - Entitlement for both parents

Bolivia - Entitlement for both parents

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Entitlement for both parents

Brazil - Entitlement for both parents

Bulgaria - Entitlement for both parents

Burkina Faso - Entitlement for both parents

Burundi - Entitlement for both parents

Canada - Entitlement for both parents

Cabo Verde - Entitlement for both parents

Chad - Entitlement for both parents

Chile - Entitlement for both parents

China - Entitlement for both parents

Colombia - Entitlement for both parents

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Entitlement for both parents

Cote d'Ivoire - Entitlement for both parents

Croatia - Entitlement for both parents

Cuba - Entitlement for both parents

Cyprus - Entitlement for both parents

Czech Republic - Entitlement for both parents

Denmark - Entitlement for both parents

Djibouti - Entitlement for both parents

Dominican Republic - Entitlement for both parents

Ecuador - Entitlement for both parents

El Salvador - Entitlement for both parents

Equatorial Guinea - Entitlement for both parents

Estonia - Entitlement for both parents

Ethiopia - Entitlement for both parents

Fiji - Entitlement for both parents

Finland - Entitlement for both parents

France - Entitlement for both parents

Gabon - Entitlement for both parents

The Gambia - Entitlement for both parents

Georgia - Entitlement for both parents

Germany - Entitlement for both parents

Greece - Entitlement for both parents

Greenland - Entitlement for both parents

Guatemala - Entitlement for both parents

Hungary - Entitlement for both parents

Iceland - Entitlement for both parents

Indonesia - Entitlement for both parents

Ireland - Entitlement for both parents

Italy - Entitlement for both parents

Japan - Entitlement for both parents

Jordan - Entitlement for both parents

Kenya - Entitlement for both parents

Republic of Korea - Entitlement for both parents

Latvia - Entitlement for both parents

Lithuania - Entitlement for both parents

Luxembourg - Entitlement for both parents

North Macedonia - Entitlement for both parents

Malawi - Entitlement for both parents

Maldives - Entitlement for both parents

Mali - Entitlement for both parents

Malta - Entitlement for both parents

Mauritania - Entitlement for both parents

Mauritius - Entitlement for both parents

Mexico - Entitlement for both parents

Moldova - Entitlement for both parents

Monaco - Entitlement for both parents

Mongolia - Entitlement for both parents

Montenegro - Entitlement for both parents

Morocco - Entitlement for both parents

Mozambique - Entitlement for both parents

Myanmar - Entitlement for both parents

Nepal - Entitlement for both parents

The Netherlands - Entitlement for both parents

Nicaragua - Entitlement for both parents

Norway - Entitlement for both parents

Panama - Entitlement for both parents

Paraguay - Entitlement for both parents

Peru - Entitlement for both parents

The Philippines - Entitlement for both parents

Poland - Entitlement for both parents

Portugal - Entitlement for both parents

Romania - Entitlement for both parents

Russian Federation - Entitlement for both parents

Rwanda - Entitlement for both parents

Samoa - Entitlement for both parents

San Marino - Entitlement for both parents

Saudi Arabia - Entitlement for both parents

Serbia - Entitlement for both parents

- Entitlement for both parents

Singapore - Entitlement for both parents

Slovakia - Entitlement for both parents

Slovenia - Entitlement for both parents

South Africa - Entitlement for both parents

South Sudan - Entitlement for both parents

Spain - Entitlement for both parents

Suriname - Entitlement for both parents

Sweden - Entitlement for both parents

Switzerland - Entitlement for both parents

Tanzania - Entitlement for both parents

Timor-Leste - Entitlement for both parents

Togo - Entitlement for both parents

Tunisia - Entitlement for both parents

Türkiye - Entitlement for both parents

Turkmenistan - Entitlement for both parents

Tuvalu - Entitlement for both parents

Uganda - Entitlement for both parents

Ukraine - Entitlement for both parents

United Arab Emirates - Entitlement for both parents

United Kingdom - Entitlement for both parents

Uruguay - Entitlement for both parents

Uzbekistan - Entitlement for both parents

Venezuela - Entitlement for both parents

Vietnam - Entitlement for both parents

Zambia - Entitlement for both parents