Below is a concrete, numbers-first example using a monthly salary of 37,100 SEK (roughly the 2025 median), Stockholm tax table 31, column 1 (income under 66), and three realistic withdrawal patterns for the same calendar year.
Baseline: full-time salary in 2025
Working full time at 37,100 SEK/month gives 445,200 SEK gross in 2025. With Stockholm tax table 31, column 1, that is 29,525 SEK net per month, or 354,300 SEK net for the year.
Three parental benefit patterns (Stockholm example)
| 2025 setup (one parent takes leave) | What the money looks like (Stockholm table 31, col 1) |
|---|---|
| Working full year (no leave) | 445,200 SEK gross salary. 354,300 SEK net salary for the year (29,525 SEK net/month). |
| Benefit 7 days/week for the full year (365 days total). Maximum SGI-level days for one parent (300), then 65 minimum-level days. | 295,652 SEK gross benefit. 240,851 SEK net benefit for the year. Net gap vs working: 113,449 SEK less net income. Timing cliff after SGI-level days run out. |
| Benefit on weekdays, Mon-Fri including public holidays ("red days") (261 SGI-level days) | 247,038 SEK gross benefit. 205,882 SEK net benefit for the year. Net gap vs working: 148,418 SEK less net income. Cash flow is steadier, but monthly income is lower than 7 days/week. |
| Benefit on workdays only, Mon-Fri excluding weekday public holidays ("red days") (252 SGI-level days) | 238,520 SEK gross benefit. 199,482 SEK net benefit for the year. Net gap vs working: 154,818 SEK less net income. Saves 9 SGI-level days, but you are paid for fewer days in holiday-heavy months. |
What is most interesting in practice
The 7-days/week plan looks best if you only look at total net cash for 2025. It pays about 34,969 SEK more net than taking weekdays (Mon-Fri including red days). The trade-off is that it costs 104 extra benefit days in the same year, and it pushes you into minimum-level days once the one-parent SGI-level maximum is used.
That maximum matters. In a two-parent household, one parent can use at most 300 SGI-level days if the other parent does not use their reserved days. After that, the remaining days you can take are minimum-level days, which are much lower.
The month-to-month shape is the real story
With 7 days/week, the net benefit in SGI-level months is roughly 21,600 to 23,700 SEK net/month in Stockholm table 31, column 1, depending on the month length. Once minimum-level days start, the net benefit drops to around 5,000 SEK net/month. If you are not expecting that cliff, it can feel brutal.
With 5 days/week (Mon-Fri), the payout is steadier. In this example it typically lands around 16,000 to 18,000 SEK net/month, varying with how many weekdays are in the month. It is a bigger yearly net gap versus salary, but it avoids the minimum-level months surprise and keeps more days available for later.
The "exclude red days" lever
In 2025 there are 261 weekdays, but only 252 workdays once you exclude weekday public holidays. Skipping those red days saves 9 SGI-level days in the year. In this example, that costs about 6,400 SEK net across 2025, but it buys you roughly two extra weeks of SGI-level days later (at a 5-days/week pace). Whether that is worth it depends on how tight your cash flow is in holiday-heavy months.
A human note, because the calculator cannot measure this
It is easy to reduce parental leave to spreadsheets, but the reason you are doing it is time: bonding, routines, and being there for the tiny moments you do not get back. If taking 7 days/week in the early months buys you calm and sleep and removes money stress, that is a valid choice. If taking 5 days/week helps you stay home longer and keep flexibility for daycare transitions later, that is also a valid choice. The best plan is the one your family can live with month after month.
Assumptions: Net amounts are estimated using Stockholm Skatteverket tax table 31, column 1 (preliminary withholding) applied to monthly amounts. Actual tax withheld on parental benefit can differ depending on your tax decision, other income, and deductions. Employer top-ups (föräldralön) are not included.