Paternity leaves in Finland have nearly doubled in length after a 2022 reform of the parental leave system, the social benefits agency has said.
The change granted both parents equal amounts of leave for the first time: 160 days each of paid leave, to be used before the child turns two. Sixty-three of the days can be transferred to the other parent, if desired.
The move was aimed at providing greater flexibility for families and improving equality in working life. Now “more and more fathers take care of their child at home for a longer period”, the social benefits agency, Kela, said on Thursday.
Fathers of children born after the reform have taken 78 days of parental leave on average. That is almost double the average 44 days taken in 2021, before the law change, when 54 days were earmarked for paternity leave.
Inside Helsinki’s buzzing Oodi central library, a popular meeting spot for parents with small children, babies crawled next to dozens of parked prams on Thursday.
“I feel like you now see more fathers coming here than before,” said Leo Vainio, who was spending time with his one-year-old Unto. Vainio said he had been on paternity leave for two months and described the reform as “very positive”.
“It is a good system of enhancing equality to offer both parents the same amount of days of parental allowance,” he added.
Another father, Kimi Lilja, said: “I believe it will create a different bond between the child and the father when you are able to spend more time together, also with regards to the future.”
Kela’s lead specialist, Johanna Aholainen, said: “The new rules emphasise values in society by aiming to even out the days of parental leave between the parents and, according to the statistics, we are moving towards this aim.”
