20 Surprising Things Countries Are No. 1 At

Longest maternity leave: Bulgaria

Anything written about Bulgaria usually notes that it’s also the poorest country in the European Union, along with Romania. But when it comes to maternity leave, Bulgaria tops the charts.

New moms get 410 days, 45 of which are before the birth. They can also choose to stay at home until the child is two years old, and get paid their full salary or a fraction of it, depending on work status, health coverage, and sick days already used.