Statistics and indicators on women and men
 
Table 5.C - Maternity leave benefits, as of 1998
Country or area Length of maternity leave
Percentage of wages
paid in covered period
 Provider of coverage
 
Africa
Algeria 14 weeks
100
 Social Security
Angola 90 days
100
 Employer
Benin 14 weeks
100
 Social Security
Botswana 12 weeks
25
 Employer
Burkina Faso 14 weeks
100
 Social Security
Burundi 12 weeks
50
 Employer
Cameroon 14 weeks
100
 Social Security
Central African Rep. 14 weeks
50
 Social Security
Chad 13 weeks
50
 Social Security
Comoros 14 weeks
100
 Employer
Congo 15 weeks
100
 50% Employer / 50% S.S.
Côte d'Ivoire 14 weeks
100
 50% Employer / 50% S.S.
Dem. Rep. of the Congo 14 weeks
67
 Employer
Djibouti 14 weeks
50
25% Employer / 25% S.S.
Egypt 50 days
100
 S.S. / Employer
Equatorial Guinea 12 weeks
75
 Social Security
Eritrea 60 days
..
 ..
Ethiopia 90 days
100
 Employer
Gabon 14 weeks
100
 Social Security
Gambia 12 weeks
100
 Employer
Ghana 12 weeks
50
 Employer
Guinea 14 weeks
100
 50% Employer / 50% S.S.
Guinea-Bissau 60 days
100
 Employer / S.S.
Kenya 2 months
100
 Employer
Lesotho 12 weeks
0
 --
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 50 days
50
 Employer
Madagascar 14 weeks
50
 Social Security
Mali 14 weeks
100
 Social Security
Mauritania 14 weeks
100
 Social Security
Mauritius 12 weeks
100
 Employer
Morocco 12 weeks
100
 Social Security
Mozambique 60 days
100
 Employer
Namibia 12 weeks
as prescribed
 Social Security
Niger 14 weeks
50
 Social Security
Nigeria 12 weeks
50
 Employer
Rwanda 12 weeks
67
 Employer
Sao Tome and Principe 70 days
100
 Social Security
Senegal 14 weeks
100
 Social Security
Seychelles 14 weeks
flat monthly allowance
 Social Security
Somalia 14 weeks
50
 Employer
South Africa 12 weeks
45
 Unemployment Insurance
Sudan 8 weeks
100
 Employer
Swaziland 12 weeks
0
 --
Togo 14 weeks
100
 50% Employer / 50% S.S.
Tunisia 30 days
67
 Social Security
Uganda 8 weeks
100 for one month
 Employer
United Rep. of Tanzania             12 weeks
100
 Employer
Zaire 14 weeks
67
 Employer
Zambia 12 weeks
100
 Employer
Zimbabwe 90 days
60/75
 Employer
Latin America and the Caribbean 
Antigua and Barbuda 13 weeks
60
 Social Security
Argentina 90 days
100
 Social Security
Bahamas 8 weeks
100
 40% Employer / 60% S.S.
Barbados 12 weeks
100
 Social Security
Belize 12 weeks
80
 Social Security
Bolivia 60 days
100% of nat'l min wage + 70% of wages above min wage
 Social Security
Brazil 120 days
100
 Social Security
Chile 18 weeks
100
 Social Security
Colombia 12 weeks
100
 Social Security
Costa Rica 16 weeks
100
 50% Employer / 50% S.S.
Cuba 18 weeks
100
 Social Security
Dominica 12 weeks
60
 Social Security
Dominican Republic 12 weeks
100
 50% Employer / 50% S.S.
Ecuador 12 weeks
100
 25% Employer / 75% S.S.
El Salvador 12 weeks
75
 Social Security
Grenada 13 weeks
60 for 12 weeks
 Social Security
Guatemala 12 weeks
100
 33% Employer / 67% S.S.
Guyana 13 weeks
70
 Social Security
Haiti 12 weeks
100 for 6 weeks
 Employer
Honduras 10 weeks
100
33% Employer / 67% S.S.
Jamaica 12 weeks
100 for 8 weeks
 Employer
Mexico 12 weeks
100
 Social Security
Nicaragua 12 weeks
60
 Social Security
Panama 14 weeks
100
 Social Security
Paraguay 12 weeks
50 for 9 weeks
 Social Security
Peru 90 days
100
 Social Security
Saint Lucia 13 weeks
65
 Social Security
Trinidad and Tobago 13 weeks
60 a
 Social Security
Uruguay 12 weeks
100
 Social Security
Venezuela 18 weeks
100
 Social Security
Asia
Afghanistan 90 days
100
 Employer
Azerbaijan 18 weeks
..
 ..
Bahrain 45 days
100
 Employer
Bangladesh 12 weeks
100
 Employer
Cambodia 90 days
100
 Employer
China 90 days
100
 Employer
China, Hong Kong SAR 12 weeks
66.7
 Employer
Cyprus 16 weeks
75
 Social Security
India 12 weeks
100
 Social Security
Indonesia 13 weeks
100
 Employer
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 90 days
66.7
Social Security
Iraq 60 days
100
 Social Security
Israel 12 weeks
75 a
 Social Security
Jordan 10 weeks
90
 Employer
Kuwait 70 days
100
 Employer
Lao People's Dem. Rep.           90 days
100
 Social Security
Lebanon 40 days
100
 Employer
Malaysia 60 days
100
 Employer
Mongolia 101 days
..
 ..
Myanmar 12 weeks
66.7
 Social Security
Nepal 52 days
100
 Employer
Pakistan 12 weeks
100
 Employer
Philippines 60 days
100
 Social Security
Qatar 40-60 days
100 for civil servants
 Agency concerned
Republic of Korea 60 days
100
 Employer
Saudi Arabia 10 weeks
50 or 100
 Employer
Singapore 8 weeks
100
 Employer
Sri Lanka 12 weeks
100
 Employer
Syrian Arab Republic             75 days
70
 Employer
Thailand 90 days
100 for 45 days then 50% for 60 days
 Employer for 45 days, then S.S.
Turkey 12 weeks
66.7
 Social Security
United Arab Emirates 45 days
100
 Employer
Viet Nam 4-7months
100
 Social Security
Yemen 60 days
100
 Employer
Oceania
Fiji 84 days
Flat rate
 Employer
Papua New Guinea 6 weeks
0
 --
Solomon Islands 12 weeks
25
 Employer
Developed regions
Australia 1 year
0
 --
Austria 16 weeks
100
 Social Security
Belarus 126 days
100
 Social Security
Belgium 15 weeks
82% for 30 days, 75% thereaftera
 Social Security
Bulgaria 120-180 days
100
 Social Security
Canada 17-18 weeks
57 for 15 weeks
 Unemployment Insurance
Croatia 6 months+4 weeks
..
 ..
Czech Republic 28 weeks
..
 ..
Denmark 18 weeks b
100 a
 Social Security
Estonia 18 weeks
..
 ..
Finland 105 days
80
 Social Security
France 16-26 weeks
100
 Social Security
Germany 14 weeks
100
 S.S.to ceiling; employer pays difference
Greece 16 weeks
75
 Social Security
Hungary 24 weeks
100
 Social Security
Iceland 2 months
Flat rate
 Social Security
Ireland 14 weeks
70% or fixed rate a
 Social Security
Italy 5 months
80
 Social Security
Japan 14 weeks
60
 Health insurance / S.S.
Liechtenstein 8 weeks
80
 Social Security
Luxembourg 16 weeks
100
 Social Security
Malta 13 weeks
100
 Social Security
Netherlands 16 weeks
100
 Social Security
New Zealand 14 weeks
0
 --
Norway 38-48 weeks
100, and 26 extra paid weeks by either parent
 Social Security
Poland 16-18 weeks
100
 Social Security
Portugal 14 weeks
100
 Social Security
Romania 112 days
50-94
 Social Security
Russian Federation 140 days
100
 Social Security
Spain 16 weeks
100
 Social Security
Sweden 14 weeks
450 days paid parental leave: 360 days at 75% and 90 days at flat rate
 Social Security
Switzerland 8 weeks
100
 Employer
Ukraine 126 days
100
 Social Security
United Kingdom 14-18 weeks
90 for 6 weeks, flat rate after
 Social Security
United States

Federal:12 weeks c
States:varies

0
 --

 

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Source:

ILO, (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/condtrav/maternity/maternity_publ.htm, accessed on November 2003) and ILO, press release of 12 February 1998 (ILO/98/7). a Up to a ceiling. b 10 more weeks may be taken up by either parent. c The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 provided a total of 12 work weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for the birth of a child and the care of the newborn. FMLA applies only to workers in companies with 50 or more workers.

Technical notes:

Table 5.C presents data on maternity leave benefits currently available to women in countries surveyed by the ILO, including the length of time for which benefits are provided, the extent of compensation and the institution responsible for providing the coverage. The data presented was compiled by the ILO, based on information provided by countries as of 1998.