Nearly 6,000 fathers have taken paid paternity leave since August 1, when it was introduced, most in the City of Zagreb and least in the Lika-Senj County.

In August, 1,425 fathers took paternity leave, 2,449 did so in September and 1,951 in October, according to the Central State Office for Demography and Youth.

Fathers can take ten or 15 days of paid paternity leave, depending on whether they have one child or twins or more children born at the same time, and they can do so in the first six months of the child’s life.

Paid paternity leave has been taken the most most in the City of Zagreb (1,380 fathers), Split-Dalmatia County (456) and Osijek-Baranja County (427) , and the least in Lika-Senj and Virovitica-Podravina counties, 54 and 82 fathers, respectively.

The Central State Office for Demography and Youth says paternity leave has been taken the most by fathers aged 31-35, and 57% of fathers have taken it for their first child and 37% for the second.

Paternity leave is not mandatory, but if a father wants to take it, his employer must allow it or face fines ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 kuna.

The Central State Office has told the Croatian state news agency Hina that no father has filed a complaint about his employer to date.

Fathers who take paternity leave receive their full monthly pay, as do mothers on maternity leave, at the expense of the state budget, not the employer.

The state set aside 91 million kuna for paternity leave this year and 4 million kuna was paid in August, 8.4 million kuna in September and nearly six million in October.

(€1 = 7.5 kuna)