WORLD Policy Analysis Center

How much paid leave is reserved for mothers of infants?

This variable only includes paid leave reserved for mothers for the birth of an infant and does not include paid shared parental leave, which is leave available to either parent of an infant that can be taken by women. For data on the full duration of paid leave available to mothers, see our map on maternal leave. In some countries, mothers can transfer some or all of this leave to fathers, spouses, and/or partners.

We report the leave available in weeks under normal conditions for the birth of a child, 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.

Countries

Marshall Islands - No paid leave

Micronesia, Federated States of - No paid leave

Nauru - No paid leave

Palau - No paid leave

Papua New Guinea - No paid leave

Tonga - No paid leave

United States of America - No paid leave

Afghanistan - Less than 14 weeks

Angola - Less than 14 weeks

Antigua and Barbuda - Less than 14 weeks

Argentina - Less than 14 weeks

Bahamas - Less than 14 weeks

Bahrain - Less than 14 weeks

Barbados - Less than 14 weeks

Bhutan - Less than 14 weeks

Bolivia - Less than 14 weeks

Botswana - Less than 14 weeks

Brunei - Less than 14 weeks

Burundi - Less than 14 weeks

Cambodia - Less than 14 weeks

Cabo Verde - Less than 14 weeks

Dominica - Less than 14 weeks

Ecuador - Less than 14 weeks

Egypt - Less than 14 weeks

Equatorial Guinea - Less than 14 weeks

Eritrea - Less than 14 weeks

Ghana - Less than 14 weeks

Grenada - Less than 14 weeks

Guatemala - Less than 14 weeks

Guinea-Bissau - Less than 14 weeks

Guyana - Less than 14 weeks

Haiti - Less than 14 weeks

Honduras - Less than 14 weeks

Indonesia - Less than 14 weeks

Jamaica - Less than 14 weeks

Jordan - Less than 14 weeks

Kenya - Less than 14 weeks

Kiribati - Less than 14 weeks

Kuwait - Less than 14 weeks

Lebanon - Less than 14 weeks

Lesotho - Less than 14 weeks

Malawi - Less than 14 weeks

Malaysia - Less than 14 weeks

Maldives - Less than 14 weeks

Mexico - Less than 14 weeks

Mozambique - Less than 14 weeks

Namibia - Less than 14 weeks

Nepal - Less than 14 weeks

Nicaragua - Less than 14 weeks

Nigeria - Less than 14 weeks

Oman - Less than 14 weeks

Pakistan - Less than 14 weeks

Qatar - Less than 14 weeks

Rwanda - Less than 14 weeks

Samoa - Less than 14 weeks

Saudi Arabia - Less than 14 weeks

Sierra Leone - Less than 14 weeks

Solomon Islands - Less than 14 weeks

South Sudan - Less than 14 weeks

Sri Lanka - Less than 14 weeks

St. Kitts and Nevis - Less than 14 weeks

St. Lucia - Less than 14 weeks

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Less than 14 weeks

Sudan - Less than 14 weeks

Eswatini - Less than 14 weeks

Tanzania - Less than 14 weeks

Timor-Leste - Less than 14 weeks

Tunisia - Less than 14 weeks

Tuvalu - Less than 14 weeks

Uganda - Less than 14 weeks

United Arab Emirates - Less than 14 weeks

Vanuatu - Less than 14 weeks

Yemen - Less than 14 weeks

Algeria - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Andorra - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Armenia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Australia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Austria - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Azerbaijan - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Bangladesh - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Belarus - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Belize - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Benin - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Brazil - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Burkina Faso - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Cameroon - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Canada - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Central African Republic - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Chad - 14 - 25.9 weeks

China - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Colombia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Comoros - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Democratic Republic of the Congo - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Republic of the Congo - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Costa Rica - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Cote d'Ivoire - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Cuba - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Cyprus - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Denmark - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Dominican Republic - 14 - 25.9 weeks

El Salvador - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Estonia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Ethiopia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Fiji - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Finland - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Gabon - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Georgia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Germany - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Guinea - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Hungary - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Iceland - 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

Latvia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Liberia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Libya - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Liechtenstein - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Lithuania - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Madagascar - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Mali - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Malta - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Mauritania - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Mauritius - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Moldova - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Monaco - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Mongolia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Montenegro - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Morocco - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Myanmar - 14 - 25.9 weeks

The Netherlands - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Niger - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Norway - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Panama - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Paraguay - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Peru - 14 - 25.9 weeks

The Philippines - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Poland - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Portugal - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Romania - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Russian Federation - 14 - 25.9 weeks

San Marino - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Sao Tome and Principe - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Senegal - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Serbia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Seychelles - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Singapore - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Somalia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

South Africa - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Spain - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Suriname - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Switzerland - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Syria - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Thailand - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Togo - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Trinidad and Tobago - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Türkiye - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Turkmenistan - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Ukraine - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Uruguay - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Zambia - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Zimbabwe - 14 - 25.9 weeks

Belgium - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Chile - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Croatia - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Czech Republic - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Djibouti - 26 - 51.9 weeks

France - 26 - 51.9 weeks

The Gambia - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Greece - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Greenland - 26 - 51.9 weeks

India - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Iran - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Ireland - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Italy - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Luxembourg - 26 - 51.9 weeks

North Macedonia - 26 - 51.9 weeks

New Zealand - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Slovakia - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Slovenia - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Sweden - 26 - 51.9 weeks

United Kingdom - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Venezuela - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Vietnam - 26 - 51.9 weeks

Albania - 52 weeks or more

Bosnia and Herzegovina - 52 weeks or more

Bulgaria - 52 weeks or more

Japan - 52 weeks or more

Republic of Korea - 52 weeks or more

Tajikistan - 52 weeks or more

Uzbekistan - 52 weeks or more