Overview

• Spain’s exclusive breastfeeding rate at six months has climbed to a record 47%, nearing the WHO’s 50% benchmark.
• The real decreto-ley 9/2025 extends birth and care leave to 19 weeks per parent and to 32 weeks for single-parent families.
• The Ministry of Health has launched a multi-stakeholder working group with autonomous communities, the ministries of Equality and Social Rights, and IHAN under a €200,000 agreement to bolster breastfeeding support.
• Despite 98% of mothers intending to breastfeed, half abandon exclusive nursing before six months due to economic pressures, early return to work and social stigma.
• Research links six months of exclusive breastfeeding to 3–7% cognitive gains and highlights its role in reducing healthcare costs and carbon emissions.