Parental Leave Pay by Country (2026–27): UK, Ireland, Canada, Quebec and Australia
Every one of these countries pays new parents while they are on leave, but the systems are built in opposite ways. Ireland and Australia pay a flat weekly amount whatever you earned; Canada, Quebec and, after six weeks, the UK pay a share of your pay up to a cap. The result is that the same family can lose a small or a very large part of a year’s income depending on where they live and what they earn.
Below: each system’s rule, then what it pays over the first year for the birth parent at three example salaries in each country (gross, before tax, no employer top-up). Every figure is computed by the same tested code as our free parental leave gap calculator.
The five systems at a glance
| Country | Weeks paid | How the pay is set | Mid-salary example: share of a year’s pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 39 of 52 weeks | 90% of average weekly earnings for 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week or 90% if lower (Statutory Maternity Pay, 2026/27); you must average at least £129 a week | 26% on £40,000 |
| Ireland | 26 weeks (+16 unpaid) | Flat €309 a week Maternity Benefit (from January 2027; €299 in 2026) | 16% on €50,000 |
| Canada (outside Quebec) | 50 weeks (1 unpaid waiting week) | EI: 55% of insurable earnings up to $729 a week (2026), 15 weeks maternity + up to 35 weeks standard parental | 52% on $70,000 |
| Quebec | 50 weeks (no waiting week) | QPIP basic plan: 70% for 18 weeks, then 7 weeks at 70% and 25 at 55% (shareable), on earnings up to $103,000 (2026) | 60% on $70,000 |
| Australia | 22 weeks (26 per family) | Parental Leave Pay: $1,004.70 a week at the national minimum wage (2026–27), up to 22 weeks for a partnered birth parent | 25% on $90,000 |
The pattern: flat-rate systems (Ireland, Australia) protect lower earners best and leave higher earners with the biggest drop; percentage systems (UK first six weeks, Canada, Quebec) track your pay until they hit a cap. Employer top-ups, which are common but never guaranteed, change the picture more than anything else, so check your contract.
Country by country
United Kingdom
90% of average weekly earnings for 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week or 90% if lower (Statutory Maternity Pay, 2026/27); you must average at least £129 a week.
| Salary | Statutory pay, first 52 weeks | Share of a year’s pay | Income lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| £25,000 | £9,009 | 36% | £15,991 |
| £40,000 | £10,566 | 26% | £29,434 |
| £70,000 | £13,682 | 20% | £56,318 |
Ireland
Flat €309 a week Maternity Benefit (from January 2027; €299 in 2026).
| Salary | Statutory pay, first 52 weeks | Share of a year’s pay | Income lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| €30,000 | €8,034 | 27% | €21,966 |
| €50,000 | €8,034 | 16% | €41,966 |
| €80,000 | €8,034 | 10% | €71,966 |
Canada (outside Quebec)
EI: 55% of insurable earnings up to $729 a week (2026), 15 weeks maternity + up to 35 weeks standard parental.
| Salary | Statutory pay, first 52 weeks | Share of a year’s pay | Income lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| $45,000 | $23,798 | 53% | $21,202 |
| $70,000 | $36,450 | 52% | $33,550 |
| $100,000 | $36,450 | 36% | $63,550 |
Quebec
QPIP basic plan: 70% for 18 weeks, then 7 weeks at 70% and 25 at 55% (shareable), on earnings up to $103,000 (2026).
| Salary | Statutory pay, first 52 weeks | Share of a year’s pay | Income lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| $45,000 | $27,043 | 60% | $17,957 |
| $70,000 | $42,067 | 60% | $27,933 |
| $100,000 | $60,096 | 60% | $39,904 |
Australia
Parental Leave Pay: $1,004.70 a week at the national minimum wage (2026–27), up to 22 weeks for a partnered birth parent.
| Salary | Statutory pay, first 52 weeks | Share of a year’s pay | Income lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $22,103 | 37% | $37,897 |
| $90,000 | $22,103 | 25% | $67,897 |
| $130,000 | $22,103 | 17% | $107,897 |
Plan your own leave, week by week
The Parental Leave Planner (spreadsheet, US$19 one-time) has UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada (EI and QPIP) editions: both parents week by week, employer top-ups, each week’s dated rate and a monthly savings target. The gap calculator is free.
Work out your gap →What the comparison leaves out
- Tax. Figures are gross. Ireland’s Maternity Benefit is taxed but has no USC or PRSI; UK SMP is taxed like pay; EI, QPIP and Australian Parental Leave Pay are taxable income.
- The other parent. Partners get their own entitlements (for example 2 weeks of paternity pay in the UK and Ireland, reserved weeks in Australia and Quebec), and in Canada and Quebec parental weeks can be shared.
- Extended options. Canada’s extended parental benefit pays 33% over up to 61 weeks; Quebec has a special plan with a different split.
- Eligibility. Each system has its own work or contribution test; the figures assume you qualify.
Related
- Maternity leave in Ireland: rules, PRSI conditions and the income gap.
- EI maternity and parental leave in Canada: standard against extended, and the 600-hour rule.
- Ireland maternity leave pay calculator: both parents, after tax.
- Cost of a baby’s first year by country: the spending side of the same year.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Maternity pay and leave (Statutory Maternity Pay 2026/27)
- Citizens Information: Maternity Benefit (Ireland, including the Budget 2027 increase)
- Government of Canada: EI maternity and parental benefits
- Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP)
- Services Australia: Parental Leave Pay
Rules read on the official pages on 3 November 2026. Example salaries are illustrations, not national averages. General information, not advice.
Frequently asked questions
Which country pays the most parental leave?
Of the five systems compared here, Quebec replaces the largest share of pay in the first year: 60% for a parent on $70,000, because QPIP pays 70% for the first 25 weeks and covers earnings up to $103,000. Canada’s EI replaces 52% at the same salary, the UK 26% on £40,000, Ireland 16% on €50,000 and Australia 25% on A$90,000.
How much is maternity pay in the UK in 2026?
Statutory Maternity Pay is 90% of average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week (or 90% if lower) for the next 33 weeks: 39 paid weeks. You need average earnings of at least £129 a week.
How much is Maternity Benefit in Ireland?
€299 a week in 2026 and €309 from January 2027, for 26 weeks, whatever you earned. Up to 16 more weeks of leave are unpaid.
How much is EI maternity and parental leave in Canada?
55% of average insurable earnings up to $729 a week in 2026: 15 weeks of maternity benefits and up to 35 weeks of standard parental benefits, after a one-week waiting period. Quebec has its own plan, QPIP.
How much is Parental Leave Pay in Australia?
$1,004.70 a week (the national minimum wage) in 2026–27, for up to 26 weeks per family; a partnered birth parent can take up to 22 of them.
Cite this article
DecisionsCalc. (2026). Parental Leave Pay by Country (2026–27): UK, Ireland, Canada, Quebec and Australia. DecisionsCalc. https://decisionscalc.com/articles/parental-leave-pay-by-country/