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Maternity leave around the world - a table of comparisons (as at 2001)

Source: Maternity Protection ILO Convention No. 183

Africa  |  Americas  |  Asia/Pacific  |  Europe

Africa
Country Length of leave % of Wages
Algeria 14 weeks 100
Angola 90 days 100
Benin 14 weeks 100
Botswana 12 weeks 25
Burkina Faso 14 weeks 100
Burundi 12 weeks 50
Cameroon 14 weeks 100
Central African Republic 14 weeks 50
Chad 14 weeks 50
Comoros 14 weeks 100
Congo 15 weeks 100
Cote d'Ivoire 14 weeks 100
Democratic Republic of the Congo 14 weeks 67
Djibouti 14 weeks 50 (100% for public employees)
Egypt 50 days 100
Equatorial Guinea 12 weeks 75
Ethiopia 90 days 100
Gabon 14 weeks 100
The Gambia 12 weeks 100
Ghana 12 weeks 50
Guinea 14 weeks 100
Guinea-Bissau 60 days 100
Kenya 2 months 100
Lesotho 12 weeks 0
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 50 days 50
Madagascar 14 weeks 100
Mali 14 weeks 100
Mauritiana 14 weeks 100
Mauritius 12 weeks 100
Morocco 12 weeks 100
Mozambique 60 days 100
Namibia 12 weeks as prescribed
Niger 14 weeks 50
Nigeria 12 weeks 50
Rwanda 12 weeks 67
Sao Tome/Principe 70 days 100 for 60 days
Senegal 14 weeks 100
Seychelles 14 weeks flat rate for 10 weeks
Somalia 14 weeks 50
South Africa 12 weeks 45
Sudan 8 weeks 100
Swaziland 12 weeks 0
Tanzania 12 weeks 100
Togo 14 weeks 100
Tunisia 30 days 67
Uganda 8 weeks 100 for one month
Zambia 12 weeks 100
Zimbabwe 90 days 60/75
Americas
Country Length of leave % of Wages
Antigua/Barbuda 13 weeks 60
Argentina 90 days 100
Bahamas 8 weeks 100
Barbados 12 weeks 100
Belize 12 weeks 80
Bolivia 60 days 100 of national min. wage + 70% of wages above min. wage
Brazil 120 days 100
Canada 17-18 weeks 55 for 15 weeks
Chile 18 weeks 100
Colombia 12 weeks 100
Costa Rica 4 months 100
Cuba 18 weeks 100
Dominica 12 weeks 60
Dominican Republic 12 weeks 100
Ecuador 12 weeks 100
El Salvador 12 weeks 75
Grenada 3 months 100 (2 months), 60% for 3rd month
Guatemala 12 weeks 100
Guyana 13 weeks 70
Haiti 12 weeks 100 for 6 weeks
Honduras 10 weeks 100 for 84 days
Jamaica 12 weeks 100 for 8 weeks
Mexico 12 weeks 100
Nicaragua 12 weeks 60
Panama 14 weeks 100
Paraguay 12 weeks 50 for 9 weeks
Peru 90 days 100
Saint Lucia 13 weeks 65
Trinidad/Tobago 13 weeks 60-100
United States 12 weeks 0
Uruguay 12 weeks 100
Venezuela 18 weeks 100
Asia/Pacific
Country Length of leave % of Wages
Afghanistan 90 days 100
Australia 1 year 0
Bahrain 45 days 100
Bangladesh 12 weeks 100
Cambodia 90 days 50
China 90 days 100
Fiji 84 days Flat rate
India 12 weeks 100
Indonesia 3 months 100
Iran 90 days 66.7 for 16 weeks
Iraq 62 days 100
Japan 14 weeks 60
Jordan 10 weeks 100
Korea, Republic of 60 days 100
Kuwait 70 days 100
Laos 90 days 100
Lebanon 40 days 100
Malaysia 60 days 100
Mongolia 101 days -
Myanmar 12 weeks 66.7
Nepal 52 days 100
New Zealand 14 weeks 0
Pakistan 12 weeks 100
Papua New Guinea 6 weeks 0
Philippines 60 days 100
Qatar 40-60 days 100 for civil servants
Saudi Arabia 10 weeks 50 or 100
Singapore 8 weeks 100
Solomon Islands 12 weeks 25
Sri Lanka 12 weeks 100
Syria 75 days 100
Thailand 90 days 100 for 45 days then 50% for 45 days
United Arab Emirates 45 days 100
Vietnam 4-6 months 100
Yemen 60 days 100
Europe
Country Length of leave % of Wages
Austria 16 weeks 100
Belarus 126 days 100
Belgium 15 weeks 82 for 30 days, 75%* thereafter
Bulgaria 120-180 days 100
Cyprus 16 weeks 75
Denmark 18 weeks 100 (10 more weeks may be taken by either parent)
Finland 105 days 80
France 16-26 weeks 100
Germany 14 weeks 100
Greece 16 weeks 75
Hungary 24 weeks 100
Iceland 2 months Flat rate
Ireland 14 weeks 70 or fixed rate
Israel 14 weeks 75
Italy 5 months 80
Liechtenstein 8 weeks 80
Luxembourg 16 weeks 100
Malta 13 weeks 100
Netherlands 16 weeks 100
Norway 18 weeks 100 & 26 extra paid weeks by either parent
Poland 16-18 weeks 100
Portugal 98 days 100
Romania 112 days 50-94
Russia 140 days 100
Spain 16 weeks 100
Sweden 14 weeks 450 days paid parental leave; 360 days at 75%, and 90 days flat rate
Switzerland 8 weeks 100
Turkey 12 weeks 66.7
Ukraine 126 days 100
United Kingdom 14-18 weeks 90 for 6 weeks, flat rate after

* up to a ceiling

Source: Maternity Protection ILO Convention No. 183, June 2001, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, the Public Services International and Education International

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