Brits tempted to jet off to more 'family-friendly' countries to beat the cost-of-living crisis are being warned to do their homework - as they may not be entitled to the parenting perks they want. Sweden was crowned the best country for working parents in 2022 whereas the UK failed to even make an appearance in the top 20, according to research.
The study analysed 31 countries around the world, investigating which are the best for working parents by comparing government policies on maternity, paternity and adoption leave. Scandinavian parents are not tied down to maternity or paternity leave but instead are offered a Shared Parental Leave policy that is set at a whopping 240 days (or 34 weeks) per parent.
This gives new families a total of 480 days leave to spend with their newborn baby. The cost of living is also much lower in Sweden with average lower rents of £811 per month compared to the UK's £1,713 per month and basic utilities of around £64 compared to £167.
