For the first time, men and women in Spain have taken nearly identical average durations of birth and child care leave in the first nine months of 2025. Women took 112 days, while men reached 109, up from 103 the previous year. However, voluntary unpaid leaves remain predominantly requested by women.
In the first nine months of 2025, a total of 343,421 people in Spain have taken birth and child care leave, according to data published by Social Security. The average duration was 112 days for women, matching the 16 weeks set by law, and 109 days for men, or 15 weeks and four days. This represents significant progress, as in the same period of 2024 men only enjoyed an average of 103 days, or 14 weeks and five days.
Despite this equalization in paid leaves, which cover 100% of the contribution base, inequalities persist in voluntary unpaid leaves. Between January and September, 43,623 such leaves were processed, a 1.9% increase from the previous year, with 83.3% requested by women and only 16.7% by men, compared to 84.5% and 15.5% in the prior period.
The total cost of birth benefits reached 2,857 million euros, up 5.9% despite a 1.3% rise in the number of leaves, indicating higher average salaries among beneficiaries. The recent extension to 19 weeks, approved in July, will increase this expenditure by about 1,000 million euros annually.
The regions with the most benefits are Andalucía (66,245), Cataluña (63,015), and the Community of Madrid (59,178), while less populated areas like La Rioja recorded only 2,390. For unpaid leaves, Madrid leads with 8,574, followed by Cataluña (6,204) and Andalucía (5,064).
A 2024 EsadeEcPol report notes that, on average, 12 of the father's 16 weeks overlap with the mother's, potentially limiting the father's extended involvement in child care, though it benefits maternal health.