Codebook of the Global Dataset on Parental Leave (GDParL)

The Global Dataset on Parental Leave (GDParL) provides harmonized cross-national data on paid parental leave policies for 153 independent nation-states with populations exceeding 500,000, covering the years 1995, 2013, and 2021. Developed within the framework of the Global Welfare State Information System (WeSIS), the GDParL systematically captures key dimensions of parental leave schemes across three time points, including their existence, duration, benefit level, entitlement types, and financing structures. The dataset includes detailed variables on the duration of paid leave (reported both in original units and standardized weeks), benefit levels (measured in original monetary terms as well as replacement rates), entitlement types (individual vs. family-based), and sources of financing (e.g., taxation, insurance, or employer liability). To ensure consistency and facilitate analytical clarity, the GDParL applies a standardized coding scheme to identify missing values and inapplicable cases. Taken together, these features make the GDParL a comprehensive resource for the comparative analysis of global trends in the design, scope, and coverage of parental leave policies.