The State of the World's Fathers 2026, a report published by gender equality organisation Equimundo, has revealed half of the world's fathers felt unsupported by society to take on a caring role.
The report found fathers overwhelmingly wanted to be present and active in the daily lives of their children, but are held back by norms and policies that have not caught up with their intentions.
The study involved more than 8000 parents and caregivers across 16 countries, including more than 5300 fathers, 2600 mothers and 31 non-binary or trans parents aged between 18 and 65.
More than 90 per cent of dads surveyed said they valued their caring responsibilities in the home as much as paid work.
But 87 per cent said they were not getting the support they needed to parent.
More than four out of five parents said their employer would not allow flexible working arrangements.
Just 39 per cent of fathers had been offered parenting support from their workplace and fewer than half knew that it existed.
It was clear that men need to join women in demanding and advocating for the services everyone needs in order to take on care roles from policymakers and workplaces, Equimundo chief executive Gary Barker said.
"The good news is that around the world men are doing more of the care work and finding meaning and happiness in doing so," he said.
"But the data also tell us that families everywhere face enormous challenges to provide basic care."
The report also found half of fathers had picked up second or third jobs and more than 60 per cent worked overtime to make ends meet.
The 2026 State of the World's Fathers report has been published 10 years after its first edition, and is one of the only global studies of men's involvement in parenting and care work.
