More than 231,000 parents enjoy a birth permit extended to 19 weeks, 32 in the case of single-parent families

In the first half of this year, 108,614 mothers and 123,042 fathers benefited from the childbirth and childcare allowance, extended in July 2025 to 19 weeks, in general, and to 32 weeks for single-parent families, which entitles them to 100% paid leave. In total, 231,656 benefits have been enjoyed, 3.3% more than in the same period of 2026.

These figures correspond to periods enjoyed between January and June of this year, so they do not exactly coincide with the number of benefits processed, since there are cases of benefits that could start the procedure in 2025 and continue in 2026.

Specifically, between January and June of this year, the Social Security paid 248,500 benefits for birth and child care, of which 114,636 correspond to the first parent, usually the mother, and 133,864 to the second, usually the father. Among them, 2,549 benefits have been managed in single-parent family processes, of which 2,476 were for women and 73 for men.

The birth permit consists of 17 weeks until the baby turns one year old, plus two additional weeks until he turns 8. In the case of single-parent families, there are 32 and four, respectively. In addition, the amount of the benefit is equivalent to the contribution base of the month prior to childbirth, adoption, care or fostering, and is paid directly by the National Social Security Institute (INSS) during the weeks of the leave.

Although the extension of the permit occurred in July 2025, the additional weeks that can be enjoyed up to the child’s 8 years of age have begun to be requested since January 1, 2026. At this time, families whose children were born on or after August 2, 2024 can be accommodated retroactively.

Parental and childcare leave, inherited from old maternity and paternity benefits, is recognized as an individual and non-transferable right of both parents.

The expenditure associated with this benefit in the first half of 2026 has been just over 2,285 million euros.

The average duration of active birth and childcare leave between January and June 2026 was 112.7 days. The duration of the leave of women lasts 4 days more, up to 114.8, than that of men, which has been 110.8.

The largest number of benefits per birth are in Andalusia (45,809), followed by Catalonia (44,771), Madrid (40,914) and the Valencian Community, where 25,951 benefits have been managed.

The National Social Security Institute (INSS) offers the possibility to apply for the birth and child care benefit electronically, through the portal Tu Seguridad Social (https://sede.seg-social.gob.es/) and in https://prestaciones.seg-social.es/servicio/prestacion-nacimiento-adopcion-cuidado-menor.html?categoria=nacimiento-adopcion-embarazo

Successive periods of rest by birth and childcare may also be requested electronically, if the parents choose to divide the period.

Leave of absence for child care, foster child or family member

On the other hand, the number of surpluses registered between January and June was 24,983, of which 20,415 corresponded to women, 81.7%, and 4,568 to men, which is equivalent to 18.3%, which means that, overall, there has been an increase of 2.6%.

Madrid (4,771), Catalonia (3,518), Andalusia (3,096), Valencia (2,769) and the Basque Country (2,330) are the autonomous communities with the most processed surpluses. However, the Canary Islands (+28.2%), Galicia (+23%) and La Rioja (+12.5%) stand out because they are the autonomous communities that have experienced the greatest increase.

Workers may apply for leave to care for children or minors who have been taken in or for the care of other family members. In this case, they are considered an effective contribution period for the purposes of Social Security benefits for retirement, permanent disability, death and survival, birth and child care, the first three years of leave to care for a child or foster child. They are also considered the first three years of leave that workers enjoy for the care of other family members up to the 2nd degree of consanguinity or affinity that, for reasons of age, accident, illness or disability, cannot stand on their own and do not perform a paid activity.

Attached document in Excel with data by CC.AA.

More statistical information on the Social Security website:  https://run.gob.es/yfla32c4