France has launched new paid leave for mothers and fathers, as President Emmanuel Macron seeks to address the country’s sluggish birth rate.
In 2024 Emmanuel Macron unveiled a plan aimed at tackling infertility and the declining birth rate, describing it as part of what he called France’s “demographic re-armament”.
Until now, paid maternity leave in France has been just under four months for a first child, while fathers have been entitled to 28 days of leave after a birth.
Under the new rules which came into force on Wednesday, mothers and fathers may share an additional one or two months of leave on top of existing entitlements.
Parents will receive 70 per cent of their net salary during the first month and 60 per cent during the second. The new provisions apply to parents of children born on or after 1 January 2026. Adoptive parents are also eligible.
EU fertility rates fall as France records first post-war natural decline
Fertility rates are falling across the European Union. France last year recorded fewer births than deaths for the first time since the end of the Second World War, according to the National Statistics Institute.
Feminist groups have said the reform falls short and is unlikely to improve gender equality, noting that the lower-earning partner, typically the woman, is more likely to take the additional leave.
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