More men in Taiwan are taking unpaid parental leave than women for the first time: May 2026 data

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This comes as the Government has introduced a series of support measures for families raising children.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Labour has released the latest statistics on its new flexible day-based unpaid parental leave policy, with male participation surpassing that of women in May 2026 for the first time, reaching 50.3%.

Overall, men now account for 48.4% of the total applicants, gradually narrowing the gap with women at 51.6%, signalling a shift towards more shared childcare responsibilities.

Key figures include:

• The cumulative number of day-based unpaid parental leave applicants reached 11,950, accounting for 26.1% of all unpaid parental leave applicants
• Total applications reached 24,624, representing 40.9% of all applications
• Male participation rose to 50.3% in May alone

The Ministry said the policy is designed to foster a more family-friendly workplace environment. Employees are allowed to take unpaid parental leave in single-day units for up to 30 days, with a combined maximum of 60 days for both parents. Participants remain eligible for a government allowance equivalent to 80% of their salary, in accordance with regulations.

Since the policy’s implementation, both application numbers and male participation have increased significantly in May 2026.

To complement employee support, the Government has also introduced subsidies for employers. Small and micro-sized enterprises are eligible for a NT$1,000 daily subsidy based on approved leave days, with payments disbursed automatically and quarterly. In the first quarter of 2026, 989 companies qualified for the subsidy.

Looking ahead, the Ministry plans to extend the entitlement of the unpaid parental leave in single-day units from 30 to 60 days. The proposed amendment has been approved by the Executive Yuan and submitted to the Legislative Yuan for deliberation.

Beyond workplace policies, the Government is also advancing a new population strategy to support families. Proposed by Premier Cho Jung-tai, the new population strategy spans three stages of family life – childbirth, childrearing, and education – and focuses on five key areas: ensuring a secure start for families, strengthening child care, increasing investment in education, promoting family-friendly workplaces, and easing housing pressures.

The strategy outlines 18 measures to enhance support for families raising children, including:

• Introducing a monthly subsidy of NT$5,000 per child from birth until age 18
• Increasing subsidies for assisted reproduction
• Expanding access to affordable childcare services
• Raising tax deductions for businesses’ childcare expenses
• Extending maternity leave from eight weeks to 12 weeks
• Each parent will be eligible for an additional three months of allowances if both parents take six full months of unpaid parental leave with allowance
• Incentivising companies with 200 or fewer employees to adopt flexible or reduced-hour work arrangements for parents of children aged 12 and under
• 40% of social housing units will be set aside for newlyweds and parents of young children. Families raising children aged zero to six will be eligible to rent these units for up to 12 years and receive expanded rental subsidies

The Premier said the strategy is expected to take effect from 2027, benefiting approximately 27.7mn people. It aims to shift Taiwan’s model from subsidy-based childcare to one centred on public support, advancing a new approach in which childbearing is not tied to marriage, while promoting gender equality through shared childrearing responsibilities.