How much does it cost to raise a child in the UK?
An estimate from birth to 18 in pounds, scaled by household income and nation, with the categories broken out.
Total, birth to 18
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for a child
Show as
Estimates only, and excludes higher education unless you tick the box. Assumptions and sources are listed below the tool.
What this result means
Childcare is the dominant early cost in the UK, and the figure falls substantially once free early-years hours begin. University is excluded unless you tick the box, since tuition is normally borrowed rather than paid from household income.
Like every estimate on this site, this is an order of magnitude rather than a forecast. Your own childcare and housing costs will move it more than any national figure.
Assumptions and limits
- Estimates spread across eighteen years, not a bill due now.
- Higher education is excluded unless you tick the box.
- Regional multipliers are broad cost-of-living approximations.
- Assumes a two-parent household.
- Currency amounts are not converted between countries.
Sources
- Consumer Expenditure Survey U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics