Women bear the burden of caring for their relatives in the Canary Islands and the rest of Spain. Data provided by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration shows that of the 54,639 leaves of absence requested in the country, 83.1% were requested by women.
A leave of absence entails the temporary suspension of the employment contract at the request of the employee. With data from 2025, the Social Security portfolio indicates that the number of leaves of absence for family care has grown by 11.5% in the Canary Islands, making the archipelago the autonomous community where they have increased the most. In total, 1,068 leaves of absence have been granted in the archipelago, the majority (72%) granted to women, compared to the applications submitted by men (28%).
Although this gender gap occurs in all Spanish autonomous communities, the Canary Islands is the autonomous community with the smallest difference between genders, followed by the Balearic Islands (with 78% women and 22% men). At the other end of the spectrum, the largest gap is in La Rioja (92% of leaves of absence for women and 9% for men).
The Spanish Government has reminded that workers can request a leave of absence to care for children or adopted minors or for the care of other family members.
The first three years of leave for the care of a child or a foster child count towards social security contributions for retirement, permanent disability, death and survival, maternity, and paternity. The first year of leave for the care of other family members is also considered effectively contributed for the purposes of these benefits.
Paternity Leave
Regarding the parental leave for birth and child care, it has grown by 11.1% in 2025 compared to the previous year. A total of 524,714 benefits were processed last year. Of these, 241,903 corresponded to the first parent, usually the mother, and 282,811 to the second parent, normally the father
Spending on the benefit for birth and childcare between January and December reached 3,880.8 million euros. In 2024, this figure stood at 3,613.1 million euros, representing an increase of 7.4%.
Extension of birth leave
Last July, protection for parents and minors and the right to work-life balance were improved, with the extension of the birth and childcare leave by three weeks, which went from 16 to 19 weeks, and up to **32 weeks in the case of single-parent families**.Specifically, 17 weeks, of **equal duration and non-transferable** between both parents, and 28, in the case of single-parent families, can be enjoyed during the baby's first twelve months, or, in the case of adoption, guardianship, or foster care, in the first year, from the judicial or administrative resolution; in weekly periods or accumulated.
In addition, two additional weeks of leave for childcare (four for single-parent families) are added, which can be taken flexibly until the child turns 8 years old.
This right can be requested retroactively for births from August 2, 2024, and is already available from January 1, 2026.
The request can be submitted up to 15 days in advance of the start date of the enjoyment period.
The amount of these benefits is equivalent to 100% of the contribution base for common contingencies of the month immediately preceding the month before the start of the leave.
The National Social Security Institute, responsible for paying the benefit, offers the possibility of applying for it through the portal *Tu Seguridad Social*. It is also possible to apply for successive periods of leave telematically if you choose to split the permit
More people are enjoying birth benefits in Andalusia, Catalonia, and Madrid
By autonomous communities, the largest number of benefits for birth and childcare was registered in Andalusia (97,224), Catalonia (93,262), Madrid (86,465), and the Valencian Community (53,970)
The average duration of active benefits for birth and childcare in 2025 was 111 days on average, with barely three days difference between men and women. This figure approaches co-responsibility, as the previous year men enjoyed, on average, one week less.
