Fathers in Finland are increasingly staying home to care for their babies and toddlers.
Their share of parental leave increased more rapidly between 2022 and 2024 than in previous years, according to benefits agency Kela.
The family leave reform that took effect in August 2022 has increased fathers' use of parental leave, according to Anneli Miettinen, a research manager at Kela.
Under the reform, parental leave is in principle divided equally between both parents, though each may transfer part of their quota to the other.
Between January and September, fathers accounted for over 22 percent of all parental allowance days — two percentage points more than during the same period last year.
While Kela's statistics show only small regional variations in fathers' use of parental leave, the autonomous Åland Islands differ notably from mainland Finland. During the first nine months of this year, fathers there used more than a quarter of all parental leave days.
President awards deserving dads
Finland marks Father's Day on Sunday, a national flag day observed annually on the second Sunday of November to honour dads.
This year, President Alexander Stubb has awarded fathers recognised for their contributions to raising children. Forty-eight men received the Medal of the White Rose of Finland, First Class with Gold Cross, at the national Father's Day celebration held at the Presidential Palace.
This is the first time such honours have been bestowed on fathers. Comparable decorations have been granted on Mother's Day since 1946.
