South Korea offers fathers more than KRW36mn in statutory paid paternity leave, according to a new study by Moorepay. The study compared paternity and parental leave provisions across countries, finding that 51 countries provide no statutory paid paternity leave.
South Korean fathers could receive more than 36mn South Korean Won (KRW), equivalent to £17,803 (GBP) or Intl$42,797, under the study’s model. 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.
Paternity Leave Provisions
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 the countries that offer no statutory paid paternity leave.
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.
Value of Paternity Leave
Dr Craig Garfield, co-author of a paper on paternity leave status and mental health symptoms, said mental health and paternity leave are linked.
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. Government and reliable sources were then used to determine the statutory paid parental leave available to this model father.
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 PPP conversion factors to account for differences in the cost of living between countries.
Top 10 Countries for Paternity Leave
The study’s comparison shows the top 10 countries offering the best-paid paternity leave in absolute terms, with South Korea ranked first at £17,803 or Intl$42,797. Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland follow, with average values ranging from £15,211 to £17,682.
Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Japan, and Slovenia offer paternity leave values ranging from £12,018 to £14,217. The study highlights significant variations in both the duration and monetary value of statutory paternity and parental leave across different nations.
The calculations were based on a model paternity situation, assuming a 50/50 split of parental leave between the mother and father.
