Paternity Leave Around The World: How Many Days Off Do Indian Fathers Get For Newborns?

Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha recently argued in the Parliament that caregiving responsibilities after childbirth should not fall solely on mothers. He said, “When a child is born, both parents are congratulated, but the responsibility of caregiving falls disproportionately on the mother.”

The AAP leader said that the fathers are often forced to choose between their jobs and supporting their families during one of the most crucial phases of life. He added, “A father should not have to choose between caring for his newborn and keeping his job. Similarly, a mother should not have to go through childbirth and recovery without her partner’s support. Caregiving is a shared responsibility. Our laws must reflect that.”

At present, India does not have a specific law mandating paternity leave in the private sector. While maternity leave is governed under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, paternity leave remains outside the purview of labour legislation.

For government employees, paternity leave is recognised under the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972. According to the rules, male government employees are entitled to 15 days of fully paid leave, which must be availed within six months of the child’s birth and is limited to up to two surviving children.

Meanwhile, in the absence of legislation, paternity leave in private sector depends largely on company policies, often framed as a matter of discretion rather than legal right.

Sweden provides 480 days of paid parental leave when a child is born or adopted, which is shared between parents. Each parent is entitled to 240 of those days, some of which can be transferred to the other parent.

Denmark offers both parents 52 weeks parental leave in total and can transfer some of the weeks of leave to the other parents. Also, the mother is entitled to four weeks leave before the birth.

Iceland provides one of the highest paternity leaves in the world, as they have at least 180 off of work to take care of an infant child. In Spain, fathers get 112 days of paternity leave, while Netherlands grants 42 days of leave.

Reportedly, Japan offers up to four weeks of leave, within eight weeks of birth. Besides, it also offers up to a year of additional childcare leave while benefits generally cover about 67% of salary, making it some of the world’s most generous paternity leave. In Norway, parents are entitled to a total of 122 months leave, including the period before birth and after the birth of the child.