What does it cost to raise a child in the UK? (2026 figures)
The honest answer is “more than you think, less than the scariest headline” — and it depends hugely on whether you count rent and childcare. The most widely used UK figure comes from the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), which publishes a Cost of a Child report every year, calculated by Loughborough University’s Centre for Research in Social Policy. Every number on this page carries its date and source, so you can check it, plan with it, or quote it.
Information, not advice. We don’t recommend products or providers. Check the official source linked below before you act.
The headline: what it costs to raise a child to 18
CPAG’s latest UK report, The Cost of a Child in 2025 (published October 2025), puts the minimum cost of bringing up a child from birth to their 18th birthday at:
| Cost from birth to 18 (CPAG, 2025) | Couple | Lone parent |
|---|---|---|
| Basic — excludes rent, childcare and council tax | £167,679 | £189,053 |
| Full — includes rent, childcare and council tax | £251,018 | £287,219 |
| Average a year (full ÷ 18, our calculation) | £13,945 | £15,957 |
| Average a week (full ÷ 18 ÷ 52.18, our calculation) | £267 | £306 |
CPAG rounds these to £250,000 for a couple and £290,000 for a lone parent. Three things are worth knowing before you use them:
- They are minimums, not averages. They come from the Minimum Income Standard — what members of the public agree a family needs for a “minimum socially acceptable” standard of living. They are not what families actually spend, which is often more.
- They are averaged across a first and second child. A first child costs much more than a second, because so much gets handed down.
- The “full” figure assumes cheap housing. CPAG models a family in social housing in the East Midlands, working full-time with formal childcare. In London, the South East or private rented housing, CPAG says costs will be higher.
As of 29 October 2026, CPAG had not yet published a 2026 edition. The 2025 report is the latest; we will update this page when the next one lands.
How the cost changes by age
The 2025 report gives totals only. CPAG’s most recent age-by-age breakdown is its 2024 age chart (“Additional costs 2024, £ per week”), based on Minimum Income Standard data. These are the weekly costs of a child excluding childcare, rent and council tax:
| Age last birthday | Couple, first child | Couple, second child | Lone parent, first child | Lone parent, second child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 | £140.36 | £65.94 | £174.09 | £72.20 |
| 2–4 | £152.13 | £80.11 | £185.86 | £86.37 |
| 5–7 | £200.36 | £115.51 | £234.09 | £121.77 |
| 8–10 | £200.36 | £115.96 | £234.09 | £122.22 |
| 11–14 | £264.41 | £178.76 | £298.15 | £185.02 |
| 15–17 | £264.41 | £263.46 | £298.15 | £297.61 |
Source: CPAG, Additional costs 2024, £ per week (Minimum Income Standard data). A “second child” is the extra cost that child adds to a family that already has one; siblings aged 18 or over are ignored.
The pattern is the useful bit. Everyday costs almost double between the baby years and the teenage years: £140.36 a week for a couple’s first baby against £264.41 a week from age 11. Secondary school, bigger appetites, clothes that can’t be handed down, phones and a social life all add up. A second child costs roughly half as much as the first while they’re small — but by 15 the gap all but closes.
Childcare flips the picture. CPAG’s matching “including childcare, rent and council tax” columns put a couple’s first child at £406.92 a week at age 0–1, falling to £270.01 at 5–10 once formal childcare shrinks to before- and after-school care. For most families the toddler years are the most expensive of all.
Our calculator below uses this age shape, scaled up by about 1% so that its 18-year total matches CPAG’s 2025 basic headline exactly.
Work out the cost for your family
Put in your children’s ages, whether you’re a couple or a lone parent, where you live, and any paid childcare before school. The calculator shows this year’s cost, the cost of each child to 18, and the support you can set against it.
Worked examples
All of these use 2026/27 rates and an England nursery price of £7.55 an hour, for 51 weeks a year (Coram’s 2026 England average, see below).
A couple with a one-year-old in nursery 30 hours a week. Everyday costs are about £7,399 this year. Nursery costs £11,552 before help. Because both parents work, 30 funded hours cover £8,607 of it; Tax-Free Childcare adds £589 on the rest, and Child Benefit pays £1,407. This year, after support: about £8,348. To 18, at today’s prices, this child costs about £227,000 including pre-school childcare, with about £51,500 of support at current rates.
A lone parent with children aged 9 and 13. No childcare. Everyday costs are about £22,181 a year — the 13-year-old is the “first child” and costs £15,732 on their own. Child Benefit pays £2,337. After support: about £19,844 a year, or £1,654 a month.
A couple with a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old, higher earner on £70,000. The High Income Child Benefit Charge takes back 50% of their £2,337 Child Benefit (1% for every £200 over £60,000), so they keep £1,169. The 3-year-old’s funded hours are still worth £8,607 because neither parent is over £100,000. After support: about £15,971 a year.
What childcare costs in 2026
Childcare is the biggest swing factor, and it is largely a pre-school cost. The best-established figures come from the Coram Childcare Survey 2026 (published 18 March 2026, prices collected October to December 2025). The average price of 25 hours a week of nursery for a child under two, for a family not using funded hours:
| Area | £ a week (25 hours) | £ an hour (our calculation) |
|---|---|---|
| England | £188.75 | £7.55 |
| Inner London | £238.01 | £9.52 |
| Outer London | £216.94 | £8.68 |
| South East | £201.91 | £8.08 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £156.15 | £6.25 |
| Scotland | £133.08 | £5.32 |
| Wales | £163.33 | £6.53 |
Coram’s survey does not cover Northern Ireland. In England, Coram found the price of a full-time place for an eligible under-two fell sharply as the 30 funded hours took effect — but families who pay for extra hours, meals and consumables still face real bills.
The support you can set against it
Child Benefit is £27.05 a week for the eldest or only child and £17.90 a week for each other child in 2026/27 (HMRC), paid until 16, or until 20 if the child stays in approved education or training. That is £1,406.60 and £930.80 a year. If the higher earner’s adjusted net income is over £60,000, the High Income Child Benefit Charge takes back 1% for every £200 above it, reaching 100% at £80,000. Claim anyway: a claim keeps National Insurance credits flowing to a parent at home with a child under 12.
Funded childcare hours (England) give working parents 30 hours a week for 38 weeks from the term after a child turns 9 months, until school; every 3- and 4-year-old gets 15 hours. Tax-Free Childcare (UK-wide) adds £2 for every £8 you pay, up to £2,000 a year per child. Both end if either parent’s adjusted net income goes over £100,000. You cannot hold Tax-Free Childcare and the Universal Credit childcare element together — our childcare guide and its calculator show which route saves you most, and how Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ.
Universal Credit. From 6 April 2026 the two-child limit was removed by the Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Act 2026, so families on UC can now get the child element for every child. If money is tight, our guide to benefits you might be missing shows how to run a free benefits check in ten minutes.
The thing not to miss: CPAG found in 2025 that a couple working full-time on the minimum wage, with children aged 3 and 7, had only 82% of what they needed to cover a minimum standard of living — and a lone parent 69% — even after Universal Credit (entitlements at April 2025). If you’re short, that’s the system, not a failing on your part. Check every bit of support you’re owed.
Did the Budget change anything? We found no change to Child Benefit, the £60,000 charge threshold or childcare support in the Budget document of 28 October 2026. It did announce that from April 2029 eligible self-employed fathers, partners and adopters in Great Britain will be able to get parental pay. For the money side of the first year — maternity pay, Child Benefit and what not to buy new — see our having a baby money guide.
How to cite this page
We built this page so journalists, students and other sites can quote it accurately. Please cite the original source for each figure — CPAG for the cost of a child, Coram for childcare prices, HMRC for Child Benefit — and link to this page if you used our tables or calculator. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.
Suggested citation: TheWiseQuid, “What does it cost to raise a child in the UK? (2026 figures)”, updated 29 October 2026, using Child Poverty Action Group, The Cost of a Child in 2025.
Our own calculations are labelled as such: the annual and weekly averages (CPAG total ÷ 18), the hourly childcare rates (Coram weekly price ÷ 25), and the calculator’s age-by-age figures (CPAG’s 2024 age chart scaled to its 2025 totals). Figures are in the prices of the year shown and are not adjusted for inflation. For more planning tools, see all our calculators.
FAQs
How much does it cost to raise a child to 18 in the UK?
CPAG’s The Cost of a Child in 2025 puts the minimum at £167,679 for a couple and £189,053 for a lone parent, excluding rent, childcare and council tax — or £251,018 and £287,219 including them. These are minimums averaged across a first and second child.
How much does a baby cost in the first year?
For a couple’s first child, about £140 a week in everyday costs (CPAG 2024) — roughly £7,400 a year at 2025 levels — before rent and childcare. A second baby adds about half that. Nursery is extra: £188.75 a week for 25 hours for an under-2 in England (Coram 2026), before funded hours.
Do teenagers cost more than younger children?
In everyday spending, yes — nearly double a baby: £264.41 a week from 11 to 17 against £140.36 at 0–1 for a couple’s first child (CPAG 2024). Including childcare, though, the toddler years usually cost the most.
How much Child Benefit do you get in 2026/27?
£27.05 a week for the eldest or only child and £17.90 for each other child — £1,406.60 and £930.80 a year. The charge starts when the higher earner’s adjusted net income passes £60,000 and takes it all at £80,000.
Can I quote these figures?
Yes. Cite the original source shown beside each figure, and link here if you used our tables or calculator. The age-by-age figures scaled to 2025 are our calculation from CPAG data.
Last checked 29 October 2026. Figures: CPAG The Cost of a Child in 2025 (Oct 2025) and 2024 age chart; Coram Childcare Survey 2026 (Mar 2026); HMRC Child Benefit 2026/27. Not a personal recommendation.
Sources
- Child Poverty Action Group — The Cost of a Child in 2025 (report, October 2025)
- Child Poverty Action Group — The Cost of a Child in 2025 (summary)
- Child Poverty Action Group — Additional costs 2024, £ per week, by age (age chart)
- Loughborough University CRSP — Cost of a child research
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation — A Minimum Income Standard for the United Kingdom in 2026 (8 September 2026)
- Coram — Childcare Survey 2026 (18 March 2026)
- HMRC — Child Benefit rates by tax year
- GOV.UK — High Income Child Benefit Charge
- GOV.UK — Child Benefit eligibility
- GOV.UK — Help with childcare costs
- legislation.gov.uk — Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Act 2026
- GOV.UK — Budget 2026 (28 October 2026)
Just so you know: this guide is information and journalism, not financial advice, and we don't recommend specific financial products. Your circumstances are your own — if you need personal advice, speak to a suitably qualified adviser. Information was correct at the "last updated" date above but things change; always check the linked primary sources.