Shared Parental Leave, statutory pay and ordinary paternity leave are different measures. This guide separates historical survey take-up from HMRC payroll records and current rights, with dates and eligibility made explicit.
Key facts and figures
- 1% of mothers and 4% of fathers reported Shared Parental Leave in the Parental Rights Survey 2019.
- 22,700 Shared Parental Pay recipients in HMRC’s 2024/25 records; about 32% more than in 2023/24.
- 50% female / 50% male rounded split of Shared Parental Pay recipients in 2024/25.
- £49.5 million Shared Parental Pay recorded in 2024/25, about 44% above 2023/24.
- 216,300 Statutory Paternity Pay recipients in 2024/25.
- £194.32 weekly statutory paternity/shared-parental pay rate for 2026/27, or 90% of average earnings if lower.
- 28% of Shared Parental Pay recipients were in the highest RTI income decile in 2024/25.
- 2 weeks maximum ordinary statutory paternity leave; a day-one employee right in Great Britain from 6 April 2026.
Reviewed on 15 October 2026. Payroll figures count people receiving statutory pay, not all people taking leave or all births. They are rounded and subject to revision.
What percentage of parents take Shared Parental Leave?
The Parental Rights Survey 2019 estimated Shared Parental Leave use at 1% of mothers and 4% of fathers; among employee fathers it was 5%. The government cited these historical estimates in its 2025 review evidence. They are not measured 2026 take-up rates.
Eligible parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay after maternity or adoption leave/pay is curtailed. Eligibility and notice requirements apply. Paid-recipient totals cannot by themselves show the share of eligible families using the scheme.
How many people claim Shared Parental Pay?
HMRC’s published payroll series records 22,700 Shared Parental Pay recipients in 2024/25, compared with 17,200 in 2023/24. Recorded payments rose from £34.4 million to £49.5 million.
The 2014/15 figure of 2,900 relates to the predecessor Additional Statutory Paternity Pay scheme, included in the combined series. Shared Parental Leave began for births due from 5 April 2015, so 2014/15 must not be called its first year.
The published 11.8-week average is derived from payments, recipient numbers and the statutory rate. It can be biased downwards when payments cross tax years, and excludes unpaid leave.
| Measure | Figure | Period / interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Shared Parental Pay recipients | 22,700 | 2024/25; 17,200 in 2023/24 |
| Shared Parental Pay recipients | 6,200 | 2015/16; first full scheme year |
| Total Shared Parental Pay | £49.5m | 2024/25; £34.4m in 2023/24 |
| Recorded gender split | 11,300 male / 11,400 female | 2024/25; each rounds to 50% |
| Derived average payment duration | 11.8 weeks | 2024/25; tax-year measure |
| Bottom two RTI income deciles | Each below 50 recipients | 2024/25; suppressed, not confirmed zero |
HMRC RTI tables published September 2025. Individuals can appear in two tax years if their payments span both; counts are rounded to hundreds.
How many fathers take paternity leave?
The 2019 Parental Rights Survey found that 59% of fathers took paternity leave, rising to 70% among employee fathers. These survey proportions describe that study’s population and period.
In 2024/25 payroll records, 216,300 people received Statutory Paternity Pay and 630,900 received Statutory Maternity Pay. Maternity payments can span tax years, so dividing these totals is not a measure of fathers’ take-up compared with mothers’ take-up.
Ordinary paternity leave is an employee entitlement. Statutory pay has separate service and earnings tests, and self-employed people do not qualify for statutory paternity leave or pay through this scheme.
How much is statutory paternity and shared parental pay in 2026?
The 2026/27 standard weekly rate is £194.32, or 90% of average weekly earnings if lower. The table shows the standard rates; eligibility and the length of the available pay period still matter.
| Payment | 2025/26 rate | 2026/27 rate |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory Paternity Pay, up to 2 weeks | £187.18/week | £194.32/week |
| Statutory Shared Parental Pay, up to 37 shared weeks | £187.18/week | £194.32/week |
| Statutory Maternity Pay, first 6 weeks | 90% of average weekly earnings | 90% of average weekly earnings |
| Statutory Maternity Pay, up to 33 further weeks | £187.18/week | £194.32/week |
For each flat-rate entry, use 90% of average weekly earnings when that is lower. An employer may offer enhanced contractual pay.
Affordability was a reported barrier in the government’s evaluation: 35% of fathers who took no statutory leave said they could not afford to. This is a reason reported by that subgroup, not a percentage of all fathers.
Who actually uses Shared Parental Pay?
In 2024/25, 28% of Shared Parental Pay recipients were in the highest earnings decile of the entire HMRC RTI population. This describes individual payroll earnings, not household income.
The bottom two deciles are marked with a dash in the published tables. The notes define that as fewer than 50 people or a percentage below 1%; it does not establish that there were no recipients.
Eligibility differs depending on which parent takes leave and pay. An employee may qualify even if their partner is self-employed, provided the applicable employment and earnings test is met. It is therefore incorrect to describe every household with a self-employed partner as excluded.
How does the UK compare internationally?
International comparisons need to distinguish paternity leave from other paid leave reserved for fathers. OECD’s 2025 report, using April 2024 policy data, gave an average of 2.4 weeks of paternity leave and 12.7 weeks when father-specific parental leave was included.
Its 8.1 full-rate-equivalent weeks combined those entitlements and adjusted for pay. Comparing that directly with the UK’s two calendar weeks of paternity leave mixes measures. Entitlement, pay replacement and eligibility should be compared on the same basis.
When are UK paternity and parental leave rules changing?
In Great Britain, paternity leave and ordinary unpaid parental leave became day-one employee rights on 6 April 2026. Statutory paternity pay still has service and earnings requirements. Shared Parental Leave has its own eligibility rules.
Neonatal care leave began for eligible parents of babies born from 6 April 2025, with up to 12 weeks of additional leave. The right to pay has separate qualifying conditions, so the whole entitlement should not be described as automatically paid for everyone.
The government launched a wider parental leave and pay review in July 2025. Review proposals and parliamentary recommendations do not change the current entitlement until implemented. Northern Ireland has separate employment-law arrangements.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of parents take Shared Parental Leave?
The 2019 Parental Rights Survey estimated 1% of mothers and 4% of fathers, or 5% of employee fathers. These are historical survey estimates, distinct from payroll counts.
How many people receive Statutory Paternity Pay?
HMRC recorded 216,300 recipients in 2024/25. That excludes people taking only unpaid leave and is not a percentage of eligible fathers.
How much is statutory paternity and shared parental pay?
The 2026/27 rate is £194.32 per week, or 90% of average weekly earnings if lower, subject to eligibility and the available pay period.
Who uses Shared Parental Pay?
Recipients are concentrated in higher individual earnings groups. In 2024/25, 28% were in the top RTI income decile; suppressed low-income cells must not be interpreted as zero.
Is paternity pay a day-one right?
Paternity leave became a day-one employee right in Great Britain on 6 April 2026. Statutory pay still has separate service and earnings tests.
Is Shared Parental Pay use growing?
Recorded recipients rose from 17,200 in 2023/24 to 22,700 in 2024/25, around 32%. That is a change in pay-recipient counts, not a measured change in the proportion of eligible parents taking leave.
Related guides
- Maternity Discrimination Statistics UK
- Women in Leadership Statistics UK
- Workplace Discrimination Statistics UK: Tribunal Claims, Prevalence & Protected Characteristics
- Equality Act 2010: The Complete UK Guide
- The Nine Protected Characteristics Under the Equality Act 2010
Sources & references
- DBT/HMRC: parental pay tables, September 2025
- Government: parental leave and pay review evidence summary
- Government: Shared Parental Leave and Pay eligibility
- Government: Shared Parental Leave and Pay technical guide
- Acas: current paternity leave rights
- Acas: April 2026 changes and separate pay eligibility
- Government: neonatal care leave and pay
- OECD: Paid leave for fathers, 2025 report using April 2024 policies
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Mark writes about equality, diversity and inclusion, UK workplace compliance and accredited online training for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Training, part of Online CPD Academy.