South Korea Tops Global Paternity Leave Ranking
Moorepay's 2026 report ranks countries by paid paternity leave amount and pay, with South Korea first and 51 countries offering none.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Child Care
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A 2026 global paternity leave report from Moorepay, a United Kingdom company, ranks South Korea first, with fathers allowed up to 20 days of paid leave plus an additional 18 months on a decreasing pay scale. Singapore ranks 13th on the list.
Why it matters
The report underlines the importance of paternity leave for fathers and families as a whole, and links paternity leave to mental health, according to Dr Craig Garfield. Across the world, 51 countries offer no paid paternity leave, including the United States and New Zealand.
South Korean fathers receive 43.4 weeks of full pay, while Singaporean fathers receive nine weeks, a figure drawn from Moorepay's 2026 ranking. Japanese fathers receive 27.8 weeks of full pay, and the report does not measure how many eligible fathers actually take the leave.
The players
Moorepay
Moorepay is a United Kingdom payroll and HR services company that publishes an annual global paternity leave report.
Dr Craig Garfield
Dr Craig Garfield is a pediatrician and researcher who has studied the links between fathers' involvement in early childcare and family mental health.
The details
Countries are ranked by the amount of paid paternity leave and the pay rates for that leave, with pay values adjusted to International Dollars, a hypothetical currency reflecting local spending power. Japan, the only other Asian country in the top 10, pays fathers £5,000 less than South Korea, while Thailand ranks second in Southeast Asia with three weeks of full pay.
Timeline
2026: Moorepay publishes its global paternity leave report.
Culture Shift
The ranking extends Moorepay's annual global paternity leave comparison, reflecting a growing international debate over whether fathers should receive the same family leave supports historically given to mothers. South Korea's lead, combined with 51 countries offering no paid leave, shows how uneven that shift remains across regions.
For parents weighing family planning, the ranking shows that paid paternity leave varies sharply by country, with South Korean fathers receiving far more paid time off than those in the 51 countries offering none. Readers in countries without statutory paid paternity leave may need to rely on employer policies to take time off after a birth.
The takeaway
Paternity leave is increasingly tied to child development and parental mental health, so policies that give fathers paid time at home may matter as much as maternity leave for families. Parents comparing options abroad should check local statutory entitlements rather than assume support from national rankings.
Further reading
For more on how family leave policies shape early childhood, see Child Care coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Independent.
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