Home
News
Family News
£200,000 to raise a child? The true cost of family life in the UK revealed

£200,000 to raise a child? The true cost of family life in the UK revealed

New research reveals the rising cost of raising children, with many parents cutting back on savings and feeling stressed about family finances.

Single mother at home managing finances and monthly expenses with her toddler.

Hollie Bond

Published: August 24, 2026 at 3:00 PM

Save

Raising a child can come with plenty of unexpected expenses, from nursery fees and school uniforms to broken laptops and family holidays. But new research suggests the overall cost could be considerably higher than many parents realise.

Analysis from MoneySuperMarket estimates that raising a child from birth to 18 could cost an average family around £194,246, when part-time nursery care, state schooling, after-school care and family holidays are included.

The research found that the total cost can vary dramatically depending on a family's choices, ranging from £143,412 to £500,982.

How much does it cost to raise a child in the UK?

MoneySuperMarket's analysis, which combines Office for National Statistics data, Coram's 2025 Childcare Survey and a survey of more than 1,000 UK parents, breaks the figures down into three scenarios.

£143,412: the lower estimate, based on no nursery care, state school, no after-school care and no family holidays
£194,246: the mid estimate, including part-time nursery care, state school, after-school care and family holidays
£500,982: the upper estimate, including full-time nursery care, private school, after-school care and family holidays

The figures cover costs including housing, food, clothing, childcare, education, technology, transport and leisure from birth to age 18.

Childcare is one of the biggest costs for families

parents-face-holiday-childcare-shortages_10912

The financial pressure can start well before a child reaches school age. MoneySuperMarket found that full-time nursery care costs parents more than £13,000 a year on average.

More than half of parents, 51%, said they rely on grandparents or other relatives because formal childcare is too expensive. Among parents with a baby under 12 months old, that figure rises to 72%.

Once children start school, parents can still face a range of additional expenses. Uniforms, school trips, stationery and sports kits were identified as the biggest unexpected cost by parents over the past year, while technology costs, including broken phones and laptop repairs, came joint second.

Parents are changing their finances to cover family costs

The research suggests the cost of raising children is affecting more than day-to-day spending.

One in five parents, 20%, said they have reduced their savings contributions to keep up with the costs of raising their children, while one in 10 have cut back or paused pension payments.

Holidays are another area where families are feeling the squeeze, with 33% saying trips away would be the first thing they would reduce if their household budget came under pressure.

Kara Gammell, Life Insurance Expert at MoneySuperMarket, says the financial impact is often felt through everyday decisions.

“Raising a child isn’t just about the big milestones, it’s the everyday decisions that quietly add up over time. Parents are constantly weighing up costs, from asking whether they can afford nursery fees this month, to deciding if they can say yes to a school trip or worrying about how they’d cope if something unexpected came along.”

When you put real numbers against these choices, it becomes clear why so many families feel under pressure.

Kara Gammell, Life Insurance Expert at MoneySuperMarket

Gammell adds that understanding the costs could help families plan for the future.

“When you put real numbers against these choices, it becomes clear why so many families feel under pressure. While the long-term cost of raising a child can feel daunting, having a realistic picture of day-to-day spending can help parents plan ahead, make informed financial decisions and think about the right protection for their circumstances – so they can focus on what really matters, their family.”

The emotional impact of the cost of raising children

The research also highlights the emotional pressure parents are experiencing.

71% feel stressed about the cost of raising their children
73% feel anxious about the long-term financial impact on their household
72% feel guilty that they cannot always provide everything their children would like
50% feel judged by other parents because of what they can or cannot afford

The financial pressure is also influencing family planning. Nearly three in 10 parents, 29%, said they had decided not to have more children because of financial pressures. A further 18% said they had chosen to have fewer children than originally planned.

A new tool could help parents work out their own costs

A pregnant woman putting a coin into a piggy bank balanced on her stomach.

MadeForMums

MoneySuperMarket has launched a Child Cost Calculator, allowing families to estimate how much raising a child could cost based on their own childcare, schooling and lifestyle choices.

The calculator covers the period from birth to 18 and is designed to give parents a more personalised picture of the potential costs involved.

The research was based on a Censuswide survey of more than 1,000 UK parents of children aged 18 and under, conducted in March 2026, alongside ONS and Coram data.

Authors

journalist and two young kids sat on a bench in France for a review of Eurocamp

Hollie BondSenior Digital Journalist

Hollie is Senior Digital Journalist at MadeForMums. She writes articles about pregnancy, parenting, child health and getting pregnant. She has written for a number of national lifestyle magazines and websites over the past 12 years including Family History Monthly, You and Your Wedding and Muddy Stilettos. She has two children aged 5 and 8 and hasn't slept since 2017!