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Article courtesy of Posh Peanut.
- Parents in the US spend nearly $600K to raise a child, more than in any other country worldwide.
- Sending a child to preschool in Switzerland costs $111K, almost 4 times the worldwide average.
- Japan ranks as Asia’s costliest country for raising kids, with school education alone exceeding $180K.
With childcare costs rising 40% faster than inflation over the past decade, 75% of parents worldwide cite financial stress as their biggest parenting challenge. A new study by children’s clothing brand Posh Peanut analyzed countries across the globe to identify the world’s most expensive places to raise children.
The research looked at parenting costs across three stages of childhood: early childcare (0–3 years), kindergarten/preschool (3–5 years), and formal education (6–18 years). It focused on expenses such as childcare centers, babysitting, preschool programs, and school education. By comparing these costs across countries, the study reveals where raising children is most financially demanding.
Here’s a look at the top 10 most expensive countries to raise children in 2025:
| Country | Total Average Childcare Cost in USD (up to 3 years old) | Total Kindergarten Cost in USD (ages 3-5) | Education Cost in USD (ages 6-18) | Total Education Cost in USD (12 years) | Total Childhood Cost (USD) |
| United States | 33.4K | 49.3K | 43.1K | 517.2K | 599.9K |
| Switzerland | 22.5K | 111.2K | 27.6K | 331.8K | 465.5K |
| United Kingdom | 13.6K | 61.9K | 21.8K | 261.1K | 336.6K |
| Luxembourg | 8.1K | 53.0K | 16.5K | 197.9K | 259.1K |
| Canada | 12.2K | 28.5K | 17.9K | 214.9K | 255.6K |
| Belgium | 13.6K | 23.4K | 16.9K | 202.4K | 239.4K |
| Australia | 15.4K | 58.2K | 13.3K | 160.0K | 233.7K |
| Japan | 10.5K | 11.7K | 15.3K | 183.0K | 205.2K |
| Sweden | 10.7K | 5.6K | 15.4K | 185.3K | 201.7K |
| France | 11.9K | 29.9K | 12.9K | 155.1K | 196.9K |
You can access the complete research findings here.
The United States ranks first as the world’s most expensive place to raise kids. American parents spend about $600K on their children from birth through high school graduation. Most of the costs come from education, which amounts to $517K for 12 years of schooling. Early childcare for kids under 3 adds $33K, and kindergarten costs another $49K.
Switzerland comes second with $466K in total costs. It has the highest kindergarten prices in the world, reaching $111K for just two years, more than double what parents in the US pay. Swiss families also spend $23K on babysitting and $332K on education up to age 18.
The United Kingdom holds third position with a total child-raising cost of $337K. Parents there face elevated expenses at each stage (the highest in the world apart from Switzerland and the United States), spending $14K on early childcare, $62K on preschool, and $261K on education.
Next up is Luxembourg, where raising a child costs around $259K. The small European country shows lower early childcare costs of $8K, but sizable kindergarten expenses reaching $53K. Still, families in Luxembourg have the world’s highest wages, making these expenses relatively easier to manage.
Canada follows closely, with total costs of $256K to raise a child. The first few years of care come to about $12K, followed by kindergarten at nearly $29K. Education is by far the largest expense here, climbing to roughly $215K.
In the sixth place is Belgium. Parents there pay around $14K for center-based childcare and babysitting, plus $23K for kindergartens. Here too, schooling is the biggest expense at $202K, bringing the total to $239K.
Australia comes next, where raising a child costs about $234K. Child support in the early years averages at $15K, but kindergarten is especially expensive here ($58K), far higher than in most European countries. Education then accounts for $160K of the overall total.
Japan lands in eighth position with $205K in total childhood costs (the highest in Asia). Japanese families benefit from more affordable childcare services and kindergartens, but have to put aside a sizable $180K for school education.
Sweden takes ninth place, with total costs of about $202K to raise a child. The early years are also lighter here, with parents spending around $11K on childcare and $6K on kindergarten. Schooling is far more expensive, adding $185K to the total.
France completes the top 10 costliest countries to raise kids. The overall child-related expenses sit at $197K, driven mostly by education, as French parents have to pay $155K for schooling. Smaller expenses include $12K for childcare and $30K for kindergarten, though kindergarten fees stand out as high for Europe.
“High childcare and education expenses remain one of the biggest barriers for working parents,” says the spokesperson from Posh Peanut. “These costs go far beyond the family budget. When parents can’t access affordable care, workforce participation drops and career growth stalls. And often it’s mothers who are forced to scale back their careers. High child-related costs shape family decisions too: about having more kids, where to live, etc. So, these trade-offs affect society as a whole, not only individual families.”
