Social Security spent a total of 3,613 million euros on these benefits in 2024.

Throughout 2024, a total of 222,784 mothers and 250,717 fathers received childbirth and childcare benefit, equivalent for both parents. Overall, 473,501 benefits were paid.

These figures correspond to periods taken in 2024, so they do not coincide exactly with the number of benefits processed in the same year, as a benefit could have been processed in 2023 and part of it taken in 2024.

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220,800 mothers and 251,000 fathers received childbirth and childcare benefits in 2024

Specifically, Social Security processed 471,644 benefits for the birth and care of a child in 2024, of which 220,367 correspond to the first parent, usually the mother, and 251,277 to the second parent, usually the father.

The expenditure associated with this benefit between January and December 2023 was 3,613 million euros. In 2023, this figure stood at 3,423 million, an increase of 5.6%.

The average processing time for this benefit in 2024 is 6.82 days and in the last quarter, specifically, 7.19 days.

By autonomous communities, the highest number of birth and childcare benefits have been recognised in Andalusia (87,592), Catalonia (83,566), Madrid (76,631) and the Valencian Community (48,255).

The average duration of active childbirth and childcare benefits between January and December 2024 was 102.7 days for women and 92.5 days for men.

The childbirth and childcare benefit replace the former maternity and paternity benefits from 1 January 2021 and has brought the two benefits fully into line. The leave is now 16 weeks for both parents and is recognised as an individual and non-transferable entitlement. Of the 16 weeks, six of them must be taken immediately after the birth or judicial or administrative resolution in cases of adoption, guardianship or foster care. The rest of the time can be taken in successive periods of at least one week’s duration.

The amount of these benefits is equivalent to the contribution base for the month before the birth, adoption, guardianship or foster care, and is paid directly by the National Social Security Institute (INSS) during the weeks that the leave lasts.

The National Social Security Institute offers the possibility of applying for the childbirth benefit telematically, through the Your Social Security portal and in the web section Childbirth, adoption and childcare benefit.

It is also possible to apply for successive periods of leave for childbirth or childcare if the parents choose to divide the period.

Leave of absence to care for a child, foster child or family member
On the other hand, the number of leaves of absence granted in 2024 was 53,471, of which 45,118 were for women (84.4%) and 8,353 for men (15.6%).

The number of leaves of absence decreased on average by 2.4% compared to the same period in 2023.

Madrid (10,747), Catalonia (7,953), Andalusia (6,150), the Basque Country (5,486) and the Valencian Community (5,478) are the autonomous communities with the highest number of leaves of absence.

The number of leaves of absence fell in all regions except Galicia (+0.31%), Navarre (3.4%) and the Basque Country (2.8%).

Workers can apply for leave of absence to care for children or foster children or to care for other family members. The first three years of leave to care for a child or foster child are considered an effective contribution period for Social Security benefits for retirement, permanent disability, death and survival, maternity and paternity. The first year of leave of absence to care for other family members is also considered to be effectively contributed for these benefits.