WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Is paid leave available for mothers of infants?

This map tells us whether countries provide paid leave from work for mothers of infants.

Map reflects a systematic review of laws in place as of March 2019.

Paid leave for mothers includes both paid maternity leave, which is leave reserved for mothers of infants, and paid parental leave, which is leave for either parent of an infant, that can be taken by women.

We report the leave available in weeks under normal conditions, excluding extended leave periods under extraordinary circumstances such as childbirth complications.

International Labour Organization standards state that women should be guaranteed at least 14 weeks of paid maternity leave.

The World Health Organization recommends at least six months of breastfeeding, which is facilitated by paid leave.

Singapore guarantees 16 weeks of paid leave to married citizen mothers, but only 8 weeks to unmarried mothers.

Countries

Suriname - No paid leave

Marshall Islands - No paid leave

Tonga - No paid leave

Federated States of Micronesia - No paid leave

Palau - No paid leave

United States of America - No paid leave

Nauru - No paid leave

Papua New Guinea - No paid leave

Afghanistan - Less than 14 weeks

Pakistan - Less than 14 weeks

Guatemala - Less than 14 weeks

Grenada - Less than 14 weeks

Ghana - Less than 14 weeks

Rwanda - Less than 14 weeks

Qatar - Less than 14 weeks

Guyana - Less than 14 weeks

Samoa - Less than 14 weeks

Ethiopia - Less than 14 weeks

Sao Tome and Principe - Less than 14 weeks

Eritrea - Less than 14 weeks

Maldives - Less than 14 weeks

Saudi Arabia - Less than 14 weeks

Egypt - Less than 14 weeks

Guinea-Bissau - Less than 14 weeks

Nigeria - Less than 14 weeks

Haiti - Less than 14 weeks

Kiribati - Less than 14 weeks

Malawi - Less than 14 weeks

Mexico - Less than 14 weeks

Lesotho - Less than 14 weeks

Lebanon - Less than 14 weeks

Kuwait - Less than 14 weeks

Mozambique - Less than 14 weeks

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Less than 14 weeks

Kenya - Less than 14 weeks

Honduras - Less than 14 weeks

Jordan - Less than 14 weeks

Namibia - Less than 14 weeks

Jamaica - Less than 14 weeks

Nepal - Less than 14 weeks

Nicaragua - Less than 14 weeks

Indonesia - Less than 14 weeks

Dominica - Less than 14 weeks

Oman - Less than 14 weeks

Ecuador - Less than 14 weeks

Equatorial Guinea - Less than 14 weeks

Sierra Leone - Less than 14 weeks

Barbados - Less than 14 weeks

Thailand - Less than 14 weeks

Timor-Leste - Less than 14 weeks

Brunei - Less than 14 weeks

Botswana - Less than 14 weeks

Bolivia - Less than 14 weeks

Bhutan - Less than 14 weeks

Tunisia - Less than 14 weeks

Tuvalu - Less than 14 weeks

Uganda - Less than 14 weeks

Cambodia - Less than 14 weeks

Bahrain - Less than 14 weeks

Bahamas - Less than 14 weeks

United Arab Emirates - Less than 14 weeks

Vanuatu - Less than 14 weeks

Argentina - Less than 14 weeks

Antigua and Barbuda - Less than 14 weeks

Angola - Less than 14 weeks

Yemen - Less than 14 weeks

Burundi - Less than 14 weeks

Malaysia - Less than 14 weeks

Tanzania - Less than 14 weeks

Sudan - Less than 14 weeks

Solomon Islands - Less than 14 weeks

South Sudan - Less than 14 weeks

Sri Lanka - Less than 14 weeks

St. Lucia - Less than 14 weeks

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Less than 14 weeks

St. Kitts and Nevis - Less than 14 weeks

Cabo Verde - Less than 14 weeks

Eswatini - Less than 14 weeks

- 14 - 25.9 weeks

Morocco - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Zambia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Mali - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Malta - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Singapore - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Mauritania - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Mauritius - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Senegal - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Somalia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

South Africa - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Monaco - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Mongolia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Uruguay - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Peru - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Panama - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Spain - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Switzerland - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Syria - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Myanmar - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Togo - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Turkey - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Paraguay - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Trinidad and Tobago - 14 - 25.9 weeks

The Netherlands - 14 - 25.9 weeks

New Zealand - 14 - 25.9 weeks

The Philippines - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Niger - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Liberia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Madagascar - 14 - 25.9 weeks

China - 14 - 25.9 weeks

El Salvador - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Dominican Republic - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Cyprus - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Cote d'Ivoire - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Costa Rica - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Republic of the Congo - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Democratic Republic of the Congo - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Comoros - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Colombia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Chad - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Gabon - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Central African Republic - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Cameroon - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Burkina Faso - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Brazil - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Benin - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Belize - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Bangladesh - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Australia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Andorra - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Algeria - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Fiji - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Djibouti - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Zimbabwe - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Libya - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Iraq - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Israel - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Kazakhstan - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Kyrgyzstan - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Laos - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Liechtenstein - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Guinea - 14 - 25.9 weeks

United Kingdom - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Belgium - 26 - 51.9 weeks

India - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Chile - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Venezuela - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Greece - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Italy - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Vietnam - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Ireland - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Luxembourg - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Iran - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Greenland - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Portugal - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Georgia - 26 - 51.9 weeks

The Gambia - 26 - 51.9 weeks

North Macedonia - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Iceland - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Norway - 26 - 51.9 weeks

France - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Finland - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Slovakia - 52 weeks or more

Romania - 52 weeks or more

Turkmenistan - 52 weeks or more

Belarus - 52 weeks or more

Ukraine - 52 weeks or more

Poland - 52 weeks or more

Azerbaijan - 52 weeks or more

Austria - 52 weeks or more

Moldova - 52 weeks or more

Uzbekistan - 52 weeks or more

Armenia - 52 weeks or more

Lithuania - 52 weeks or more

Germany - 52 weeks or more

Albania - 52 weeks or more

Bulgaria - 52 weeks or more

Bosnia and Herzegovina - 52 weeks or more

San Marino - 52 weeks or more

Czech Republic - 52 weeks or more

Cuba - 52 weeks or more

Croatia - 52 weeks or more

Denmark - 52 weeks or more

Serbia - 52 weeks or more

Estonia - 52 weeks or more

Hungary - 52 weeks or more

Latvia - 52 weeks or more

Republic of Korea - 52 weeks or more

Sweden - 52 weeks or more

Canada - 52 weeks or more

Tajikistan - 52 weeks or more

Montenegro - 52 weeks or more

Russian Federation - 52 weeks or more

Slovenia - 52 weeks or more

Japan - 52 weeks or more