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South Korea offers fathers more than KRW36mn in statutory paid paternity leave, while 51 countries provide no statutory paid paternity leave under the study’s model.
South Korea has the world’s highest statutory paid paternity leave, according to a new study by Moorepay comparing paternity and parental leave provisions across countries.
The study found that fathers in South Korea could receive more than 36mn South Korean Won (KRW), equivalent to £17,803 (GBP) or Intl$42,797.
South Korea also offers fathers the longest period of paid parental leave at 82 weeks, followed by Japan at 48 weeks and Hungary at 42.1 weeks.
When measured by the longest period of leave equivalent to full pay, South Korea again ranks first at 43.4 weeks.
Estonia follows at 38.2 weeks, while Slovenia offers 35.0 weeks.
At the other end of the scale, the US, Serbia and New Zealand are among 51 countries that offer no statutory paid paternity leave to a father in the study’s model situation.
Paternity leave can support fathers’ wellbeing
The findings come against research highlighting the value of fathers being present during the early months of a child’s life.
A father’s presence and contribution during this period can benefit the baby, mother, father and wider family unit.
For fathers, a longer period of leave may allow them to develop skills and build an emotional bond with their baby that can continue throughout the child’s childhood.
Fathers may also experience improved wellbeing during a period when many feel the strain.
Dr Craig Garfield, co-author of a paper on paternity leave status and mental health symptoms, said mental health and paternity leave are linked.
“Our findings underscore that paternal leave is not just a workplace benefit, it’s a public health issue that can deeply impact families and children.”
How countries were compared
To compare paternity leave provisions on a like-for-like basis, Moorepay created a model paternity situation involving a firstborn child, an only child and two working parents.
The team then used government and other reliable sources from each country to determine the statutory paid parental leave that this model father would be eligible for.
The model was based on:
- A firstborn, non-adopted child
- An only child
- Two working parents in the private sector, excluding laws applying only to public companies
- A five-day working week
- No labour complications or health issues
Statutory parental leave was included in the paternity pay calculation, assuming a 50/50 split of parental leave between the mother and father.
However, parental leave was excluded where it was simply maternity leave reassigned to the father.
It was also excluded where both parents could not take leave at the same time, meaning the mother would have to work if the father took parental leave.
Paternity pay calculated using average income
Using the researched pay rates and weeks, the Moorepay team calculated the average value of paternity pay in every country.
The team used the World Bank’s average income per capita for each country as the salary basis for the calculations.
The figures were then converted into international dollars using Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) conversion factors to account for differences in the cost of living between countries.
Moorepay then calculated the value of paternity pay in each country in terms of the equivalent weeks of full pay at an average salary.
Top 10 countries offering the best-paid paternity leave in absolute terms
| Rank | Country | Average Value of Statutory Paternity Leave (GBP) | Paternity Pay (USD) | Average Value of Statutory Paternity Leave (International Dollars) |
| 1 | South Korea | £17,803 | $23,425 | $42,797 |
| 2 | Luxembourg | £17,682 | $23,266 | $23,324 |
| 3 | Sweden | £17,518 | $23,050 | $25,127 |
| 4 | Norway | £15,336 | $20,179 | $21,812 |
| 5 | Iceland | £15,211 | $20,014 | $16,920 |
| 6 | Denmark | £14,217 | $18,707 | $19,057 |
| 7 | Finland | £12,962 | $17,056 | $18,905 |
| 8 | Estonia | £12,546 | $16,507 | $23,974 |
| 9 | Japan | £12,384 | $16,295 | $27,518 |
| 10 | Slovenia | £12,018 | $15,813 | $24,088 |
The study’s comparison shows differences in both the duration and monetary value of statutory paternity and parental leave available to fathers across countries.
For the full ranking, click here.
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