'Low Birthrate Emergency' in France... "Push to Extend Postpartum Maternity Leave to 6 Months"

President Macron Pushes Infertility Eradication Plan
Couple Postpartum Leave Instead of Ineffective Parental Leave
Monthly Support Payment to Increase During Period

French President Emmanuel Macron announced at a press conference held on the 16th (local time) that he plans to extend the current maternity leave to six months in order to prevent the decline in birth rates.

French President Emmanuel Macron Photo by EPA Yonhap News

Currently, in France, women can take a total of 16 weeks of maternity leave, including 6 weeks before birth and 10 weeks after birth for the second child. The policy aims to extend postpartum leave to six months for both parents.

President Macron pointed out that regarding parental leave, which can last up to three years, "women are excluded from the labor market during parental leave, and the monthly allowance (428.7 euros, about 600,000 won) is low, causing anxiety among those on leave." He explained that instead of parental leave, which has limited effectiveness, a new maternity leave system will be introduced where parents can stay with their child for six months after birth, with increased financial support during this period. According to the French daily Le Monde, only 14% of women and 1% of men use the parental leave system due to the low allowance during the leave period.

President Macron also stated, "In recent years, infertility has sharply increased among both men and women, causing suffering for many couples," and announced plans to implement a large-scale infertility eradication program.

According to the 2023 population statistics released by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), the number of babies born in France last year was 678,000, a 6.6% decrease from 726,000 in 2022. The total fertility rate is predicted to drop from 1.79 in 2022 to 1.68 in 2023.