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Right after health care, Canada is often heralded for our maternity leave benefits. True, we Canucks have it pretty good when it comes to parental leave. But let's take a look at where we rank on a world scale.
Top 10 Countries For Parental Leave Benefits
#10 Slovakia(01 of10)
Duration: 34 weeks (37 for single moms and 43 for multiples)Wages paid: 65 per centParents (overwhelmingly moms) on parental leave are entitled to work without sacrificing their benefits. Still, the country has the lowest rate of working mothers of kids children under the age of six in the European Union: 37.6 per cent, compared to the EU average of 58.9 per cent.
#9 Norway(02 of10)
Duration: 36 to 46 weeksWages paid: 100 per cent for the shorter leave, 80 per cent for the longerNorway’s so-called daddy quota was introduced in 1993 — four weeks of use-it-or-lose-it parental leave that has since been bumped up to 12 weeks. Interestingly, moms are only required to take six weeks off after having a baby.
#8 Albania(03 of10)
Duration: 365 daysWages paid: 80 per cent for 150 days after the birth, and 50 per cent for the rest.Albania is a largely agrarian economy, with small-scale farming accounting for half of employment. Still, it is surprisingly progressive when it comes to mat leave; meanwhile, just across the Adriatic, Italian moms get five months of leave at 80% of pay.
#7 Canada(04 of10)
Duration: 52 WeeksWages paid: Moms get 55 per cent (up to a maximum of $485 per week) for 17 weeks; the remaining 35 weeks can be split between parents, at the same rate.To qualify, you must work 600 hours and pay in to the Employment Insurance system in the year before you initiate a claim.You can also generate a small amount of extra income while on parental leave (though be warned: It’s based on a new and intensely complicated formula that almost negates the value of doing so
#6 Bosnia and Herzegovina(05 of10)
Duration: One yearWages paid: 82 per cent for first 30 days, 75 per cent for the rest.Yet another former Yugoslav republic, with an economy still highly reliant on foreign aid, makes the Top 10. Bosnia has a birth rate of just 1.25 babies per woman, putting it at No. 218 out of 224 nations (Singapore’s is the lowest, at 0.79).
#5 United Kingdom(06 of10)
Duration: 52 weeksWages paid: 90 per centThe U.K. is second on that MIT/Harvard list of socially progressive countries. But we have to wonder: Does the Duchess of Cornwall qualify for maternity leave benefits now that she’s at home with wee George?
#4 Serbia(07 of10)
Duration: 52 weeksWages paid: 100 per centThe maternity leave benefits might be great, but just 38.3 per cent of women in this former Yugoslav republic participate in the workforce, well below the European Union average of 58.5 per cent.
#3 Denmark(08 of10)
Duration: 52 weeksWages paid: 100 per centFor the second year running, Denmark was ranked number one in the World Happiness Report. The country has the second-highest level of female employment in Europe and generous family benefits that amount to 4.2 per cent of the country’s GDP. Plus, babies six months and up are guaranteed a daycare spot.
#2 Croatia(09 of10)
Duration: 1 yearWages paid: 100 per centOver and above the one year of paid leave, either parent is entitled to stay out of the workforce until their child turns three. That stretch of leave is unpaid, but the parent continues to collect medical insurance and accrue pension benefits.
#1 Sweden(10 of10)
Duration: 420 daysWages paid: 80 per centIkea, H&M, Alexander Skarsgård — this tiny Nordic nation has a lot going for it. And in April, Sverige was ranked the world’s most progressive country by a joint MIT/Harvard study. Its generous parental leave — which can be spread over eight years, and two months of which must be taken by dad — is a major factor.
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