Maternity Leave by Country
Compare statutory maternity and parental leave across 12 countries. See total weeks, paid weeks, pay rates and paternity leave side by side.
Countries (6 selected)
| Country | Status | Total wks | Paid wks | Pay rate | Paternity wks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | Very Generous | 480 | 384 | 80% (standard) | 240 |
| Canada | Generous | 96 | 50 | 55% (standard) or 33% (extended) | 35 |
| United Kingdom | Moderate | 52 | 39 | 90% for 6 weeks, flat rate £184/week for 33 weeks | 2 |
| Australia | Moderate | 20 | 20 | 100% (minimum wage) | 2 |
| Germany | Generous | 234 | 14 | 100% for 14 weeks (Elternzeit extends unpaid) | 14 |
| United States | Minimal | - | - | 0% | - |
Details & notes
Sweden
Government
480 days (68-69 weeks) shared between parents, 80% of income covered
Canada
Government (Employment Insurance)
15 weeks maternity + 35-61 weeks parental (flexible between parents)
United Kingdom
Employer + Government
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) available to eligible employees
Australia
Employer
National Employment Standards. Unpaid parental leave available up to 12 months.
Germany
Employer + Elterngeld (State)
14 weeks maternity protection. Elterngeld (parental benefit) available for up to 3 years.
United States
N/A
FMLA: 12 weeks unpaid for eligible employees
Data is current as of 2026 and represents statutory minimums. Regulations vary by employment type and tenure. Always verify with official government sources.
How Maternity and Parental Leave Compare Internationally
The differences are staggering. The UK offers 52 weeks of statutory maternity leave with 39 paid weeks - the first 6 at 90% of average earnings, then 33 weeks at the flat rate of £187.18 (2025/26 SMP), with the remaining 13 weeks unpaid. Sweden offers 480 days (around 68 weeks) of paid parental leave shared between both parents at 80% of earnings. The United States has no federal paid leave at all, with FMLA providing 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave for eligible employees only.
The numbers in the tool show statutory minimums, but actual employer policies often go further. Many large UK employers offer enhanced maternity pay - 6 months at full pay is fairly standard at FTSE 100 firms and the public sector. Tech companies in the US sometimes offer 16 to 20 weeks fully paid despite the lack of any legal floor. If you are weighing up jobs, ask about the company's specific scheme rather than relying on the country average.
Reading the Pay Rates Carefully
Pay rates are where countries diverge most. "Paid leave" means very different things across borders. The UK's 39 paid weeks include 33 weeks at £187.18 per week, which works out to about £8,103 over those weeks - far less than full pay for most earners. By contrast, Norway pays 100% for 49 weeks. Germany pays Elterngeld at roughly 65% of net pay, capped at €1,800/month. Always look at the pay rate alongside the duration; a long unpaid leave is not the same as a long paid leave.
Paternity leave is often overlooked in these comparisons. The UK gives 2 weeks of statutory paternity leave at the same flat rate as SMP. Sweden splits its 480 days between parents with 90 days reserved for each (use it or lose it). Iceland and Norway are similar. Countries that ringfence weeks for fathers see significantly higher take-up by men, which is one of the reasons Nordic countries report more equal childcare distribution between parents. If you are considering relocation as a couple, the paternity column matters as much as the maternity column. To compare overall time off as well, cross-reference with the [Annual Leave by Country](/annual-leave-by-country) tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much will I actually receive in the UK?
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) for 2025/26 is 90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then £187.18 per week or 90% of your earnings (whichever is lower) for the next 33 weeks. The final 13 weeks of your year-long leave are unpaid. Many employers offer more generous occupational maternity pay on top - check your employee handbook. To get SMP at all, you must have worked for the same employer for 26 weeks by the 15th week before your due date and earn at least £125/week.
What does the United States actually offer?
Federally, FMLA gives 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave but only to employees of larger firms (50+ workers) who have worked at least 12 months. There is no federal requirement for paid leave. Some states (California, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Massachusetts among others) run their own state paid family leave schemes funded by payroll deductions, with pay rates around 60 to 90% of wages capped at a weekly maximum. Big tech and finance employers often offer 16+ weeks of fully paid leave as a recruitment perk.
Is it worth relocating for better maternity leave?
Probably not for the leave alone - relocation costs and tax differences usually outweigh the benefit. But if you are already considering a move (for career reasons, family, cost of living), maternity policy is one factor that adds up over a working lifetime. Two children with 12 months of leave each in the UK means roughly 18 months of paid time off your career, compared to potentially zero in the US. That difference compounds over decades and affects pension, savings, and career trajectory.
What is the difference between maternity and parental leave?
Maternity leave is reserved for mothers who have given birth (or sometimes adopted, depending on country). Parental leave is a broader category that either parent can take, often shared. Sweden, Iceland and Norway have moved largely to parental leave models with smaller maternity-specific portions. The UK has Shared Parental Leave (SPL) which lets parents share up to 50 weeks and 37 weeks of pay, but uptake remains under 5% - most UK families still default to the mother taking traditional maternity leave.
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