Parental Leave Europe Map: Well-Paid Weeks
A map of Europe showing how many weeks of leave a couple can take at 65% of pay or more after a birth, country by country, as of January 2026.
As of January 2026 a couple can take the most well-paid leave (65% of pay or more) in Romania, Hungary and Estonia, more than 85 weeks each, and the least in the UK (6 weeks) and Ireland, where statutory leave is paid at flat rates.
Parental Leave Europe Map: Well-Paid Weeks
Frequently asked
Which country gives a couple the most leave at close to full pay?
Romania, on our count of about 115 weeks: 126 days of maternity leave at 85%, 10 working days of paternity leave at 100%, then a child-raising benefit of 85% of net income until the child is 2 (MISSOC, January 2026).
Why does the UK have so few well-paid weeks of leave?
Statutory Maternity Pay is 90% of earnings for the first 6 weeks only. The next 33 weeks, and Paternity Pay, are £194.32 a week or 90% of earnings if lower, a flat rate that this map does not count.
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