Expensive Child-Rearing Struggles Facing Young Couples: Considering Alternatives to Parenthood
Welcome to the financial rollercoaster of parenthood! Gone are the days when having kids was a simple emotional decision. Today, it's a game of figures and balancing acts, and the cost of raising a child in India has shot up to a whopping Rs 45 lakh!
Buzzing Bengaluru-based entrepreneur, Meenal Goel, stirred up a storm on LinkedIn with her breakdown of the staggering costs of child-rearing. Here's what caught our eye.
Meenal's post echoed the struggles of middle-class families feeling the pinch of escalating parenting costs. Lamenting a couple's fears about affordability, she couldn't agree more. From day one, bills start pouring in, and without a solid financial plan, it can feel like a daunting task.
So, what's the breakdown? Meenal did the math, shedding light on the expenses at each stage of a Indian child's life in 2025.
The Early Years
A hospital delivery can set you back anywhere between Rs 1.5 to Rs 2.5 lakh, and vaccinations alone add another Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000. Before preschool, you'll want must-have baby items like diapers, food, and gear, which can easily amount to Rs 3 lakh. Add playschool and daycare expenses, roughly Rs 2.5 lakh more, and you're already looking at a hefty sum of Rs 7-8 lakh even before your little one starts school.
The School Years
Age 6 to 17 might just be the costliest phase. School fees can add up to a whopping Rs 12 lakh, not to mention extra tuition, coaching classes, gadgets, uniforms, books, and activities, bringing the total to around Rs 17 lakh.
Higher Education
Private college fees, hostel charges, food, and daily living costs for higher education can set parents back another Rs 13 lakh. And that's still not the end of the story.
When you total it all up, the cost of raising just one child in India comes to approximately Rs 38-45 lakh. Now, here's the catch - financial experts suggest that to cover these costs while limiting child-related spending to about 30% of the family's income, the net annual income should be around Rs 44 lakh, which implies a gross income of roughly Rs 55 lakh annually.
For young couples, the rising cost of living, expensive schools, and surging healthcare bills are making them reconsider parenthood, with some putting their plans on hold entirely.
The road to parenthood today requires not just love and a stable home, but also proper financial planning and a hefty bank balance. So, if you're considering having a kid in 2025, remember to factor in those big numbers!
- The cost of raising a child in India, according to Meenal Goel's breakdown, is estimated to be approximately Rs 45 lakh.
- Middle-class families are feeling the pinch of escalating parenting costs, as highlighted in Meenal's LinkedIn post.
- Financial experts suggest that to cover the costs associated with raising a child while limiting child-related spending to about 30% of a family's income, the net annual income should be around Rs 44 lakh.
- To ensure a comfortable lifestyle for their child, with expenses like school, higher education, healthcare, and other expenses, families might need a gross annual income of roughly Rs 55 lakh.
