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Spain Reports 356,112 Parental-Benefit Payments Through September as Unpaid Care Leave Remains Mostly Female

A July reform makes longer leave retroactive to births since August 2024 with applications opening in January 2026.

Overview

  • Nationally, paid parental-benefit episodes rose 1.3% year over year to 356,112 in January–September, with public spending up 5.9% to €2,857.3 million.
  • Of those benefits, 164,810 went to the first parent and 191,302 to the second parent, and the average duration across active cases was 110 days.
  • Across Spain, 43,623 family-care leaves of absence were recorded in the same period, 83.3% of them taken by women.
  • In Extremadura, authorities processed 7,262 parental benefits and 531 family-care leaves, the latter up 14.19% year over year, with women accounting for 87.38% and payouts totaling €46.97 million.
  • In Castilla y León, 14,386 parental benefits were paid and 2,268 family-care leaves recorded, 86% by women, with province-level shifts ranging from declines in Segovia and Palencia to increases in Salamanca, León, Burgos and Valladolid.