Maintaining a child from 0 to 18 has an average cost of € 175,642.72. This is the figure that emerges from a report by the ONF – National Federconsumatori Observatory. But it is precisely an average evaluation: in the case of a family with a high income (that is, 70,000 euros a year), the cost rises to the record figure of 321,617.36 euros. The cost has increased with the pandemic: compared to 2018, the increase is 1.2%.
According to Federconsumatori, the decrease in transport costs, as well as those incurred for sporting and recreational activities, was not enough to amortize the increase in costs for housing and utilities (+ 12% compared to 2018). for nutrition (+ 8% compared to 2018) and for education and care (+ 6% compared to 2018). The pandemic has also contributed to widening an already growing phenomenon: the decrease in the annual income of Italian families.
Compared to 2019 there was in fact a considerable decrease in both expenditure (-9%) and the annual income of households (-2.8%) with disastrous outcomes for families, especially if single-parent and belonging to the first quintile of income, i.e. the lowest income bracket.
Depending on the income, the cost of raising a child to the age of majority varies considerably: a bi-parental family (family type taken as a sample for the survey) with an annual income of 22,500 euros, spends an average of 118,234.15 euros to support a child up to 18 years of age; for the same type of family but with an average income (34,000 euros / year), the total cost of raising a child to the age of majority increases to 175,642.72 euros. For high-income families, over 70,000 euros / year, maintaining a child up to 18 has an average cost of 321,617.36 euros.
For Federconsumatori, “these data highlight how, today more than ever, having a child is becoming a luxury reserved for the few, which fewer and fewer Italians are able to afford. It is not surprising that in 2021, in Italy, there was a minimum number of births.
In fact, although they represent a step forward, the bonuses and concessions arranged by the Government (Birth allowance, Mother tomorrow bonus, Single child allowance, Nursery bonus) they are not yet sufficient to reverse this trend. This is why it is necessary to start policies to protect the family, the birth rate and above all work, to guarantee better conditions for families, now forced to make continuous sacrifices, and to give a new impulse to the rejuvenation of the country ”
[…] Social Promotion Association：How much does it cost to raise a child from 0 to 18 years old. [50] https://observatorial.com/news/economy/29428/how-much-does-it-cost-to-keep-a-child-from-0-to-18-year… [51] Ministry of Health & Welfare：The high price of raising a well-educated child. [52] […]