A recent report from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reveals notable differences in parental leave benefits received by fathers and mothers in Germany during 2024. Approximately one-third (32 percent) of fathers claiming parental allowance (Elterngeld) received the maximum monthly benefit of €1,800 for basic parental allowance or €900 for parental allowance Plus during their first month of receipt. In comparison, only one in eight (12 percent) of mothers received the maximum benefit during their initial month.
Overall, 17 percent of parents qualified for the maximum allowance, a threshold requiring an average gross monthly income prior to the child’s birth, after deducting income tax and social security contributions, of at least €2,770. Conversely, 21 percent of parents received the minimum allowance of €300 for basic parental allowance or €150 for parental allowance Plus. Among fathers, this constituted 7 percent of recipients, whereas it represented over a quarter (26 percent) of mothers.
The average monthly parental allowance received by fathers amounted to €1,337, significantly higher than the €830 received by mothers. This disparity is largely attributed to two key factors: a higher rate of employment among fathers prior to childbirth (96 percent compared to 76 percent for mothers) and a substantially higher average pre-birth income for employed fathers (€2,344) versus employed mothers (€1,789).
However, when considering the total amount received, the dynamic shifts. Fathers who received parental allowance in 2024 claimed a cumulative average of €4,185 – considerably less than the average for mothers, which stood at €11,462. This difference is explained by the fact that fathers typically receive parental allowance for a much shorter duration; the average expected duration for fathers was 3.8 months, compared to nearly four times that length for mothers, totaling 14.8 months.
