Triple paternity leave increase between 2013 and 2022, but in Trapani and Agrigento, utilization below 30%

Last Updated: March 18, 2024

Congedo di paternità triplicato fra 2013 e 2022, ma a Trapani e ad Agrigento fruizione sotto il 30%

In Italy, there is still a strong gender imbalance among parents in caring for their children, but the percentage of fathers taking paternity leave has more than tripled between 2013 and 2022. According to Save The Children’s analysis of the latest Inps data on Father’s Day, in 2013, less than 1 in 5 fathers (19.26%) took paternity leave, which was 51,745 fathers; in 2022, more than 3 out of 5 fathers (64.02%), or 172,797 fathers, took paternity leave, with little difference whether they were parents of the first (65.88%), second, or subsequent child (62.08%). When it was introduced in 2012, paternity leave included one mandatory day and two optional days, but now guarantees 10 mandatory days and one optional day to new fathers and can be taken between two months before and five months after childbirth.

Although the increase is seen throughout Italy, those who take paternity leave more often live in the northern provinces. Utilization rates below 30% are found in the provinces of Crotone at 24%, Trapani at 27%, Agrigento and Vibo Valentia at 29%, while rates above 80% are found in the provinces of Bergamo and Lecco (81% in both cases), Treviso (82%), Vicenza (83%) and Pordenone (85%). Men between the ages of 30 and 39 (65.4%) and 40 and 49 (65.6%) are more likely to take paternity leave.

Fathers are more likely to take paternity leave if they work in medium-large companies. In companies with more than 100 employees, the utilization rate is 77%, dropping to 45.2% in companies with 15 employees or less. The biggest increase in paternity leave utilization between 2021 and 2022 was seen in this last type of company (up 8.7%). There are significant inequalities among different types of contracts, favoring those with more stable employment. While nearly 70% (69.49%) of permanent employees take paternity leave, the percentage drops to 35.95% for those with fixed-term contracts and 19.72% for seasonal workers.