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Parental leave benefits

How many days of parental leave do fathers and mothers take with parental leave benefits and/or salary? Here, you can find statistics on parental leave broken down by gender and education, as well as information on the total number of leave days parents take before and after the birth of their child.

Selected statistics on Parental leave benefits

This page shows selected popular statistics on the subject of Parental leave benefits. In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data and compile your own statistics.

Paternity leave with and without salary

Here you can see the development of paternity leave, broken down by the number of days with salary (where the employer receives the statutory pay) and the number of days without salary (where parental leave benefits is paid instead of a salary). The figure includes all individuals in the father role who live with the child’s mother and are eligible for parental leave benefits.
More about the figure
Last update
18.4.2024
Next update
11.4.2025
Source data

The data basis of the statistics is based on an extraction of cases in the period May 2014 to date from the ATP/ Udbetaling Danmark's administrative IT system, UDK-Barsel (Utilised in spring 2017). The UDK-Barsel system is used by Udbetaling Danmark to administer the payment of parental benefits.

The cases from the period May 2014 to May 2017 have been converted from an older administrative system.

In connection with the publication, maternity benefits data are correlated with background information from the following of Statistics Denmark's registers:

  • Population register
  • Highest completed education
  • A-kasseregister (unemployment payout organizations)
  • Persons receiving public benefits
  • Register-based workforce statistics (RAS)
  • Employment for Employees (BFL)
  • Extract from the Income Register

Maternity leave with and without salary

Here you can see the development of maternity leave, broken down by the number of days with salary (where the employer receives the statutory pay) and the number of days without salary (where parental leave benefits is paid instead of a salary). The figure shows mothers who are eligible for parental leave benefits and live with the child’s father or other adults who have taken on the parental role.
More about the figure
Last update
18.4.2024
Next update
11.4.2025
Source data

The data basis of the statistics is based on an extraction of cases in the period May 2014 to date from the ATP/ Udbetaling Danmark's administrative IT system, UDK-Barsel (Utilised in spring 2017). The UDK-Barsel system is used by Udbetaling Danmark to administer the payment of parental benefits.

The cases from the period May 2014 to May 2017 have been converted from an older administrative system.

In connection with the publication, maternity benefits data are correlated with background information from the following of Statistics Denmark's registers:

  • Population register
  • Highest completed education
  • A-kasseregister (unemployment payout organizations)
  • Persons receiving public benefits
  • Register-based workforce statistics (RAS)
  • Employment for Employees (BFL)
  • Extract from the Income Register

Paternity leave broken down by education level

Here you can see the development of paternity leave (with parental leave benefits) for cohabiting fathers, broken down by education level. The figure includes fathers who are eligible for parental leave benefits.
More about the figure
Last update
18.4.2024
Next update
11.4.2025
Source data

The data basis of the statistics is based on an extraction of cases in the period May 2014 to date from the ATP/ Udbetaling Danmark's administrative IT system, UDK-Barsel (Utilised in spring 2017). The UDK-Barsel system is used by Udbetaling Danmark to administer the payment of parental benefits.

The cases from the period May 2014 to May 2017 have been converted from an older administrative system.

In connection with the publication, maternity benefits data are correlated with background information from the following of Statistics Denmark's registers:

  • Population register
  • Highest completed education
  • A-kasseregister (unemployment payout organizations)
  • Persons receiving public benefits
  • Register-based workforce statistics (RAS)
  • Employment for Employees (BFL)
  • Extract from the Income Register

Maternity leave broken down by education level

Here you can see the development of maternity leave (with parental leave benefits) for cohabiting mothers, broken down by education level. The figure includes mothers who are eligible for parental leave benefits.
More about the figure
Last update
18.4.2024
Next update
11.4.2025
Source data

The data basis of the statistics is based on an extraction of cases in the period May 2014 to date from the ATP/ Udbetaling Danmark's administrative IT system, UDK-Barsel (Utilised in spring 2017). The UDK-Barsel system is used by Udbetaling Danmark to administer the payment of parental benefits.

The cases from the period May 2014 to May 2017 have been converted from an older administrative system.

In connection with the publication, maternity benefits data are correlated with background information from the following of Statistics Denmark's registers:

  • Population register
  • Highest completed education
  • A-kasseregister (unemployment payout organizations)
  • Persons receiving public benefits
  • Register-based workforce statistics (RAS)
  • Employment for Employees (BFL)
  • Extract from the Income Register

Leave days with at least one parent

Here you can see the development in the number of days where at least one parent is on leave with the child during the child's first year. This only applies to cohabiting parents, where both are eligible for parental leave benefits.
More about the figure
Last update
18.4.2024
Next update
11.4.2025
Source data

The data basis of the statistics is based on an extraction of cases in the period May 2014 to date from the ATP/ Udbetaling Danmark's administrative IT system, UDK-Barsel (Utilised in spring 2017). The UDK-Barsel system is used by Udbetaling Danmark to administer the payment of parental benefits.

The cases from the period May 2014 to May 2017 have been converted from an older administrative system.

In connection with the publication, maternity benefits data are correlated with background information from the following of Statistics Denmark's registers:

  • Population register
  • Highest completed education
  • A-kasseregister (unemployment payout organizations)
  • Persons receiving public benefits
  • Register-based workforce statistics (RAS)
  • Employment for Employees (BFL)
  • Extract from the Income Register

On the statistics – documentation, sources and method

Gain an overview of the purpose, contents and quality of the statistics. Learn about the data sources of the statistics, the contents of the statistics and how often they are published.

See the documentation of statistics to learn more:

Parental leave benefits

The statistics Benefits in connection with childbirth shed light on the use of the Maternity Act, including equality between mothers and fathers. The statistics have been compiled since 1995, but in 2017 changed data source. Since 2017, data from ATP / Udbetaling Danmark's IT system for the administration of payment of parental benefits in connection with birth, adoption, child illness etc.

Need more data on Parental leave benefits?

Find more detailed figures, e.g., on the distribution of parental leave between parents, parental leave broken down by education level, geography, etc.

Contact

Torben Lundsvig
Phone: +45 30 86 46 43