Children, Cost of Raising

The cost of raising a child varies significantly among countries and among children. One of the main factors contributing to the variation is parental income and welfare. For example, if the parents are living in poverty, their costs associated with raising children may appear lower, but in essence, the children are potentially missing out on essential medical care and other welfare needs. Considering that around half of the world’s children live in poverty, any analysis of the costs of raising children needs to account for the very wide range of opportunities and resources available to different households around the world. Nevertheless, some of the main enduring expenditure items associated with raising children across many countries are food and clothing, shelter, health care, education, transport, and ...