How much will it cost to raise a child in 2026?

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The most recent figures available from Child Poverty Action Group states the cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 in the UK is £250,000 for a couple and £290,000 for a lone parent.

According to the organisation’s annual Cost of a Child report for 2025, UK families are further away from reaching a decent standard of living than at any point since research began.

Most in-work families do not have enough income to cover basic costs, the report states, while an out-of-work family with two children has less than half the income required to meet the cost of a minimum standard of living.

Understanding the true cost of raising children in 2026 can help you plan your finances, consider your family’s long-term goals and prepare accordingly.

First year costs

The first year of raising a child can be the most expensive and research from Smart Cells indicates first-year costs in 2026 can reach an estimated £8,460.

The organisation highlights that prices remain significantly elevated in 2026 compared to previous years, meaning the cost of getting established in a baby’s first year with new items like car seats, prams and pushchairs, nappies, clothes and cots can easily build up.

For example, their research found the average price for an infant car seat in 2026 is £175, the average cost for a pushchair or travel system is approximately £525 and the average expense of nappies and wipes during a baby’s first year can total £260.

Costs of nursery

The cost of a nursery place in England depends on your child’s age, your region and whether they need a part-time (25 hours a week) or a full-time (50 hours a week) spot. Children typically attend nursery until they reach compulsory school age, which falls on the term after their fifth birthday.

Since September 2025, all eligible working parents of children aged from nine months to four years in England can claim 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year under the Free Childcare for Working Parents scheme – although there are a few criteria to meet to be eligible.

Without the scheme, the average part-time nursery place for a child under two in England is £188.75 a week, according to daynurseries.co.uk. They add full-time nursery hours for a three- to four-year-old in England is £331.79 a week for parents not eligible for funding.

Analysis by Coram Family and Childcare in their annual Childcare Survey 2026 found the cost of a part-time place in a nursery for a child under the age of two in England grew by over £100 a week between 2001 and 2024, before falling for working parents in 2025 but it continues to increase for those who are not eligible for funded entitlements.

Childcare costs

Childcare is the biggest recurring expense for some families and, according to Coram’s annual survey, childcare costs for three- to four-year-olds are up by almost 5% across Great Britain.

The percentage of household income needed to cover part-time childcare for a child under the age of two has doubled over 20 years, according to the survey.

While many eligible working parents taking advantage of 30 hours of free childcare a week have seen these costs fall, ineligible families will spend a quarter of their household income on part-time childcare, according to Coram’s 2026 findings.

Household spending costs

With the UK currently in a cost-of-living crisis, household spending continues to prove costly for many families. International conflicts and rising tensions are also putting pressure on fuel prices and the costs of many goods.

According to data from NimbleFins, UK households currently spend £662 per week (£2,870 a month) on average to cover living expenses. This has increased from 2025, where the estimated UK weekly household spend was £625 (£2,700 a month).

Living expenses include housing, food, clothing, and transport to and from work or school – but costs are higher if you rent or have a mortgage.

NimbleFins estimates the average UK household now spends around £5,296 in total on food per year (£3,877 on groceries + £1,419 on food at restaurants and takeaways).

In general, however, prices appear to be stable for the time being. Government data shows that the Consumer Price Index including the housing costs of owner-occupiers, or CPIH, rose by 3.0% in the 12 months to April 2026, down from 3.4% in the 12 months to March.

On a monthly basis, CPIH rose by 0.8% in April 2026, compared with a rise of 1.2% in April 2025. The CPIH is the UK’s measure of inflation. It tracks the changing costs of a representative basket of goods and services, as well as the costs associated with owning and living in one’s own home.

Utility bills also account for 7% of the average UK household budget, according to NimbleFins, and families spend twice as much on energy bills as they do on clothing and footwear.

In the first quarter of 2026 (January 1 to March 31), NimbleFins estimated the average gas and electric bill for a typical household with median usage was £154 per month – £70 for gas and £84 for electric – although it is worth noting energy usage varies a lot from one household to the next.

Education costs

Parents in the UK don’t actually spend much on education when compared to other costs due to the state school system.

In fact, only 1% of the average household spend goes towards education, according to NimbleFins, which roughly equates to £6 a week. These costs could translate into educational materials, like notebooks and writing tools, or after-school clubs.

While some parents opt to pack their own children’s lunch where the cost is absorbed by weekly household spending on food, many families in England take advantage of free school meals.

Any child has access to free school meals if they are in a government-funded school between reception class and year 2. From there, parents need to apply for the scheme, and there are several criteria which causes families to be eligible.

When children reach 18, the real education costs begin to kick in if a young person considers attending university. For courses starting in 2026/27, the maximum tuition fees in England are £9,790 per year for full-time students and £7,335 per year for part-time students, according to UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).

To help relieve the pressure on young students, they can apply for both a Tuition Fee loan to help pay course fees, and a Maintenance Loan to cover the costs of rent and living expenses, according to GOV.UK.