How much does it cost to raise a child: €175 up to age 18?

In Italy, it costs three times as much as in Australia and France. And the birth rate is affected: in our country, the number of children per woman has dropped to 1,24.

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How much does it cost to raise a child in Italy? The cost to Italian families.
Do a son, and accompanying him until the day he becomes independent, is increasingly a luxury. Among the many statistics with the figures for this expense, which obviously varies from family to family, but also based on the place where one lives, now there is also an author certification. The calculations of the Bank of Italy, according to which the cost of a child in our country is 640 euros per month.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO RAISE A CHILD?

If you start from this figure, you already have an idea of ​​the financial commitment and costs for I will educate A child: 640 euros is worth about half of many salaries and therefore effectively drains a good portion of family income. This figure includes expenses for the first few years, from the crib to the stroller, from baby food toys. Then come school fees, pediatrician visits, and slightly more sophisticated foods. And to the 640 euros per month you have to add the general expenses for the house, starting with the costs for domestic energyThe only consolation is that, according to the Bank of Italy, spending on children is deferred on a territorial basis: higher in the North, lower in the Centre-South, where, for example, the costs for grocery and for houses they are definitely lower.

HOW MUCH DO YOU SPEND ON A CHILD?

But how much does it generally cost to raise and support a child? Various statistics exist that calculate the cost of raising a child in Italy: the average, taking into account variables related to family income, is €175.642 up to age 18. This represents a general increase in spending of over 25 percent over the last twenty years. This is why bartering initiatives aimed at children are increasingly popular. The cost to Italian families extends from the cradle to college and continues unabated. During the first year of life, for example, a baby spends €460 on a crib, over €1,000 on diapers , €3.400 on milk and baby food, and €2.500 on clothes and socks.

READ ALSO: Montessori, the educational model that puts children's freedom at the center

HOW TO SUPPORT A CHILD

Then there are the costs of education and care, starting with school , travel, sports, and transportation. Obviously, the differences are enormous based on income , and in this sense too, the Great Recession has widened the gap between the wealthiest, a small minority, and the majority of families. In 1996, the wealthiest families spent twice as much on their children as their less fortunate counterparts; today, the ratio has skyrocketed to 2,7 to 1.

FAMILY COSTS (ISTAT)

Every year, ISTAT updates a family's costs, including all expenditure items in the family budget. The latest update calculates the overall cost. of a family, in 2022, at 3.249 euros per month, with an increase of 414 euros (+ 14,6 percent) compared to 2019, the first year pre-covid 19. A family with two children spends 3.421 euros per month (with an increase of 5,3 percent compared to 2019), and a family with three children reaches 3.649 euros (with an increase of 6,6 percent).

COUNTRIES WHERE UPKEEPING A CHILD IS LESS COSTLY

A 2024 study by the YuWa Population Institute in China correlates the cost of raising a child with per capita GDP (the wealth of each citizen) and the demographic curve. The results for Italy are beyond discouraging. Raising a child costs three times as much in Italy as in Australia and France, and twice as much as in Sweden. The cost of a child, relative to per capita GDP, is higher only in South Korea and China.

THE COST OF CHILDREN AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC CRISIS

Obviously, the high costs of raising a child discourage births and lead directly to a demographic crisis, where in Italy the number of children per woman has fallen to 1,24. The Chinese study demonstrates an almost mathematical relationship between the cost of a child, relative to per capita GDP, and the birth rate: where spending is higher, the birth rate decreases, and vice versa.

CUTTING FAMILY COSTS

In this context, according to ISTAT data, to cope with the impact of rising family costs, Italians have cut other expenses. And it's not just luxury items, such as clothing, but also spending on culture, school, and health. 

STATE AID TO FAMILIES

In terms of public assistance for families, Italy, despite numerous promises from various governments, is at the bottom of the European rankings : just 16 percent of gross domestic product. This is a record low among EU countries. This is despite the numerous , rather haphazard, bonuses distributed to families in need.

HOW THEY HELP MOTHERS RAISE THEIR CHILDREN ABROAD:

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