Why French Women Have More Babies

France combines generous parental leave, childcare support and financial benefits — policies that make having children less disruptive to family finances and careers.

“Why French women have so many babies.”

That was the title of a piece in The Times last week by Rachel Hosie, and it caught my eye. Like many people, all I seem to hear lately is that women are having fewer babies. Fertility rates are falling almost everywhere. So the headline alone felt oddly hopeful: perhaps some women, somewhere — in France — are having a better experience.

As with most things, the explanation is nuanced. But one dimension stood out clearly: the role of policy and financial support. In France, maternity leave for a first or second child is 16 weeks, paid by the state at close to full salary. By comparison, in the UK, only the first six weeks of maternity leave are paid at a similar level. Fathers in France also receive 25 days of paid paternity leave. For a third child, maternity leave extends to 26 paid weeks — a small but meaningful signal of support for larger families.

There are other supports too. Women receive a birth grant of just over €1,000 to help with the upfront costs of a new baby. Healthcare is fully covered, and new mothers typically receive around five days of postnatal midwife support in hospital. Beyond that, families with two or more children receive monthly family allowances, with additional benefits and tax support depending on income and family size.

Perhaps most significantly, heavily subsidised childcare is available from around 12 weeks. That makes an earlier return to work possible, and it’s common for women in France to return after three to six months, offering far greater career continuity.

You can see how policy shapes possibility. When a system reduces the financial cost and career disruption of having children, it changes decisions about timing, family size and work.

In the United Kingdom, the conversation has focused heavily on the length of maternity leave. But the French system is a reminder that income replacement and structural support matter just as much.

At Branch, we see first-hand the challenges many women face returning to the workforce after extended leave — typically 8–12 months, much of it paid at £187.18 a week, or sometimes nothing at all. It’s no surprise that confidence, income and career momentum often take a hit.

Policy can’t solve everything. But it can make having children far less destabilising. If you’ve experienced the French system firsthand, I’d be very curious to hear what it felt like in practice.