As of 2025, only a handful of countries in the world don't offer any form of paid maternity leave. The short list includes Papua New Guinea, Suriname, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Tonga, and the United States.
The US is notoriously one of the few countries in the world — and the only wealthy country — that doesn't mandate paid leave for new parents. This, despite the fact that the number of working moms has grown from 51% to 72% in the last 50 years.
In most of the world, paid maternity leave is treated as a basic right. Global policies vary, but nearly every country offers new mothers at least some paid time off to recover from childbirth and care for their newborns. Ahead, we break down how the US compares to the rest of the world and explore what global benchmarks can teach us about supporting working parents.
Countries with the best maternity leave
We'll start by sharing the gold standards for maternity leave. These 10 countries offer the best maternity leave policies, blending pay with time off:
- Estonia: Up to 86 weeks of leave, including 20 weeks of 100% paid maternity leave and over a year of paid parental leave.
- Bulgaria: 58.4 weeks of maternity leave at 90% pay.
- Norway: Parents can choose 49 weeks at 100% pay or 59 weeks at 80%, with 15 weeks reserved for mothers:
- Sweden: 69 weeks (480 days) of paid parental leave per child, with 390 days paid at about 80% of salary.
- Slovakia: 34 weeks at 75% pay for most mothers; longer for single parents or multiple births.
- Croatia: 30 weeks at 100% pay, with additional partially paid parental leave.
- Czech Republic: 28 weeks at 70% pay, followed by extended unpaid parental leave options.
- Lithuania: 18 weeks at 100% pay, plus optional parental leave for up to two years with partial pay.
- Japan: 14 weeks of maternity leave at about 67% pay, plus up to 12 months of partially paid parental leave.
- United Kingdom: 52 weeks of leave total — 39 paid (6 weeks at 90%, then 33 at a flat statutory rate).
Countries with paid maternity leave
Many countries guarantee full pay during maternity leave. Here are five standouts:
- Norway: 49 weeks at full pay.
- Croatia: 30 weeks at full pay.
- India: 26 weeks at full pay.
- Poland: 20 weeks at full pay.
- Spain: 16 weeks at full pay.
Most generous paid maternity leave programs overall
When we consider both length and pay, these countries lead:
- Estonia: 20 weeks at full pay, plus long paid parental leave.
- Sweden: 69 weeks total; 390 days at 80% pay:
- Bulgaria: 58.6 weeks at 90% pay.
- Hungary: 24 weeks at 100%, plus two years of partially paid leave.
- Japan: 14 weeks at 67%, plus a year of parental leave.
- Lithuania: 18 weeks at 100%, plus extended partial-pay options.
- Norway: 49 weeks at 100%, or 59 at 80%.
- United Kingdom: 39 weeks paid (6 at 90%, then flat rate).
- Canada: 50 weeks at 55% or extended 76 weeks at 33%.
- Slovakia: 34 weeks at 75% pay.
Longest maternity leave
When measured by total time off, these countries offer the longest maternity or parental leave:
- Estonia. Up to 86 weeks.
- Hungary. Up to 156 weeks (3 years).
- Sweden. 69 weeks.
- Bulgaria. 58.6 weeks.
- Lithuania. Up to 156 weeks, depending on the option chosen.
- Japan. Around 52 weeks, including parental leave.
- United Kingdom. 52 weeks (39 paid).
- Germany. 14 weeks maternity + 44 weeks parental.
- Canada. Up to 78 weeks.
- Norway. Up to 59 weeks.
Countries with no paid maternity leave
As mentioned, only a few countries do not guarantee paid maternity leave:
- United States
- Papua New Guinea
- Suriname
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- Palau
- Nauru
- Tonga
Several African nations (like Lesotho and Eswatini) technically mandate maternity leave, but at no pay or very limited pay. For example, Lesotho requires 12 weeks of leave but with “None” as the pay requirement. However, virtually all countries have laws for unpaid leave or some social benefits for mothers, making countries with fully zero-paid leave rare.
All countries maternity leave breakdown
The table below provides a breakdown of maternity leave policies by country, including the duration of leave and the pay (percentage of usual wage) provided during that leave, as of 2024 and 2025. We also note cases of unpaid portions or additional parental leave, as applicable.
Sources: Compilation from multiple data sources, including the International Labour Organization, World Bank Women, Business and the Law dataset, and national labor ministry information, as summarized by World Population Review.
Maternity leave in the United States
There is no national paid maternity leave in the US. Instead, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires some employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. However, this only applies to workers who:
- Are employed by a company with 50 or more employees
- Have worked there for at least 12 months
- Have worked at least 1,250 hours in the past year
Because of these limits, about 44% of US workers aren’t eligible for FMLA. Those who are ineligible often can’t afford to take unpaid time off.
Some employers offer paid leave as a benefit. Tech and finance companies often provide 12 to 16 weeks of paid leave, with a few offering more. Federal employees receive 12 weeks of paid parental leave under a 2020 law.
States with paid family leave
These states currently have paid family leave laws:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware (starts in 2026)
- Maine (starts in 2026)
- Maryland (starts in 2026)
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota (starts in 2026)
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Washington
- Washington, DC
The US vs global maternity leave
The US, by contrast, offers 0 weeks of paid leave by federal law. Paid family leave is available only to some workers in some states or to those with generous employers.
This patchwork system leaves many new parents without meaningful support. It also deepens inequality. Lower-income and hourly workers are least likely to have access to paid leave, despite being the ones who need it most.
Conclusion
The data is clear: The US trails far behind the rest of the world when it comes to supporting new moms with paid leave. As more Americans recognize this gap, momentum is growing for change — both at the state level and through employer-led programs.
At Howdy, we believe supporting families isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s also smart policy. Paid leave helps retain talent, reduce burnout, and create a more equitable workplace. It’s time the US caught up.