Average wages

Average wages help calculate compareable figures for income replacement.

CountryGross yearlyTax rateNet yearlyMean gender wage gapWoman net weeklyMan net weekly
1.Belgium£51,072.60 ⓘ39.72% ⓘ£30,786.56 ⓘ1.2% ⓘ£588.48£595.63
2.Denmark£60,879.20 ⓘ35.66% ⓘ£39,169.68 ⓘ7.9% ⓘ£722.29£784.24
3.Germany£43,437.34 ⓘ37.44% ⓘ£27,174.40 ⓘ17.3% ⓘ£473.10£572.07
4.Hungary£15,012.25 ⓘ33.5% ⓘ£9,983.14 ⓘ19% ⓘ£171.83£212.14
5.Netherlands£50,343.99 ⓘ27.19% ⓘ£36,655.46 ⓘ10.1% ⓘ£667.42£742.40
6.UK£44,806.00 ⓘ21.42% ⓘ£35,208.55 ⓘ16.1% ⓘ£617.81£736.36
7.USA£62,070.95 ⓘ24.39% ⓘ£46,931.85 ⓘ19.4% ⓘ£805.58£999.48

While median wages would be more representative, they are not used due to limited data availability.

Years are assumed to be 52 weeks.

See Terminology for definitions of gender wage gap and tax rate.

Protected leave entitlement for new parents

Total consecutive weeks of workplace-protected leave for new parents, combining maternity, paternity, and parental leave entitlements.

CountryMaternity leaveParental leave for birth parentShareable birth leavePaternity leaveParental leave for non-birth parentTotal
1.Belgium15 weeks ⓘ17.4 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ4 weeks ⓘ17.4 weeks ⓘ53.8 weeks
2.Denmark15 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ26 weeks ⓘ11 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ52 weeks
3.Germany14 weeks ⓘ148 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ156 weeks ⓘ318 weeks
4.Hungary156 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ2 weeks ⓘ8.8 weeks ⓘ166.8 weeks
5.Netherlands16 weeks ⓘ26 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ6 weeks ⓘ26 weeks ⓘ74 weeks
6.UK6 weeks ⓘ4 weeks ⓘ46 weeks ⓘ2 weeks ⓘ4 weeks ⓘ62 weeks
7.USA12 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ12 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ24 weeks

Income replacement for birth parent taking only paid leave

Total government-guaranteed post-tax support for birth parents who take their full paid leave entitlement, whether funded directly by the government or mandated for employers or insurance to provide.

CountryMaternity leaveShareable leaveParental leaveMaternity payParental leave payTotal net pay
1.Belgium15 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ17.4 weeks ⓘ£7,335.07 ⓘ£3,237.81 ⓘ£12,594.56 ⓘ
2.Denmark15 weeks ⓘ26 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ£16,650.99 ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ£16,650.99 ⓘ
3.Germany14 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ44 weeks ⓘ£6,623.41 ⓘ£13,738.84 ⓘ£20,362.26 ⓘ
4.Hungary156 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ£16,805.52 ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ£16,805.52 ⓘ
5.Netherlands16 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ9 weeks ⓘ£10,678.74 ⓘ£4,204.75 ⓘ£14,883.49 ⓘ
6.UK6 weeks ⓘ33 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ£9,321.14 ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ£9,321.14 ⓘ
7.USA0 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ

Shareable entitlements are always attributed to the birth parent.

Income replacement for non-birth parent taking only paid leave

Total government-guaranteed post-tax support for non-birth parents who take their full paid leave entitlement, whether funded directly by the government or mandated for employers or insurance to provide.

CountryPaternity leaveParental leavePaternity payParental leave payTotal net pay
1.Belgium4 weeks ⓘ17.4 weeks ⓘ£1,985.33 ⓘ£3,237.81 ⓘ£5,497.17 ⓘ
2.Denmark11 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ£4,328.60 ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ£4,328.60 ⓘ
3.Germany0 weeks ⓘ8.7 weeks ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ£3,123.47 ⓘ£3,123.47 ⓘ
4.Hungary2 weeks ⓘ8.8 weeks ⓘ£307.84 ⓘ£210.54 ⓘ£518.38 ⓘ
5.Netherlands6 weeks ⓘ9 weeks ⓘ£3,118.10 ⓘ£4,677.15 ⓘ£7,795.25 ⓘ
6.UK2 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ£299.49 ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ£299.49 ⓘ
7.USA0 weeks ⓘ0 weeks ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ

Shareable entitlements are always attributed to the birth parent.

Income replacement for parents during the birth year

To account for variations in protected leave, the data below shows the net financial support parents receive during the child’s birth year, assuming all available leave is taken.

CountryWeeks available for birth parentIncome replacement for birth parent during time offWeeks available for non-birth parentIncome replacement for non-birth parent during time off
1.Belgium*32.4 weeks ⓘ£12,594.56 ⓘ21.4 weeks ⓘ£5,497.17 ⓘ
2.Denmark*41 weeks ⓘ£16,650.99 ⓘ11 weeks ⓘ£4,328.60 ⓘ
3.Germany52 weeks ⓘ£20,362.26 ⓘ52 weeks ⓘ£3,123.47 ⓘ
4.Hungary52 weeks ⓘ£9,069.55 ⓘ10.8 weeks ⓘ£518.38 ⓘ
5.Netherlands*42 weeks ⓘ£14,883.49 ⓘ32 weeks ⓘ£7,795.25 ⓘ
6.UK52 weeks ⓘ£10,422.52 ⓘ6 weeks ⓘ£299.49 ⓘ
7.USA*12 weeks ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ12 weeks ⓘ£0.00 ⓘ

Countries in which birth parent has to go back to work are during the birth year are marked with *.

Shareable entitlements are always attributed to the birth parent.

Relationships between indicators

Plot two indicators against each other to reveal patterns across all countries.