Japanese fathers' childcare leave surpasses half of eligible workers in FY2025
In fiscal 2025, just over 50% of Japanese men took childcare leave, the highest rate since the survey began, driven by recent government incentives.
According to data released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the proportion of Japanese men taking childcare leave reached 50.9% in fiscal 2025, the first time it has exceeded half of eligible workers. This represents a 10.4 percentage-point increase over the prior year and continues a 13-year streak of growth since the survey's inception in 1993. The rise was especially strong among companies with five to 29 employees, where the rate climbed to 42.9% from 25.1%, while large firms (500+ staff) saw the figure rise to 60.7% from 53.8%.
Women’s leave usage remained much higher at 88.3%, with many taking longer periods. Officials linked the improvement to recent policies that obligate employers to inform pregnant or new-parent employees about leave rights and to a more accessible postnatal paternity leave scheme. The study surveyed parents of children born between October 2023 and September 2024, drawing responses from 3,291 of about 6,300 eligible workplaces.
Why it matters
Higher paternity leave use signals progress toward gender-balanced work cultures and supports Japan's demographic and economic goals.
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