Shocking Increase in the Cost of Raising a Child in Poland: What Does It Really Cost?
Parenthood, Overlooked in Statistics
The 2017 report by the Adam Smith Center still holds a relevant statement:
“In Poland, there is still no data to accurately estimate the cost of raising and maintaining a child. Collecting official data and presenting it to the public is essential to understand how expensive raising children is (as the Belgian saying goes: 'One child - one house'). This is crucial to grasp the causes of low fertility in Poland and the economic situation of families with children.”
Six years later, the topic of parenthood, the costs of raising children, and difficulties are almost nonexistent in the public space. We've become accustomed to this being a taboo subject; it's not polite to complain, everyone knows how it is. Children are expensive, but how expensive?
How Much Does Raising a Child Cost According to Experts
Let's look at the Adam Smith Center's research from May 2023.
Over 80% of respondents rate the cost of raising a single child as high or very high.
Most respondents estimate the cost of raising a child at over 300,000 PLN (approximately 1,380 PLN/month).
The Adam Smith Center estimates that the cost of raising one child in Poland in 2023 (up to the age of eighteen and based on the previous year's figures) was 309,000 PLN, and for two children, it was 513,000 PLN.
The previous year's costs were 265,000 PLN and 439,000 PLN respectively.
Nearly 80% of the costs of raising a child are related to food, housing, transportation, and education. In 2022, these increased by 22.1%, 22.6%, 13.3%, and 13.8% respectively. The overall inflation of the child-raising basket increased by +16.2%, which is substantial.
Breakdown of Child-Related Expenses
The report is modest, focusing on income and inflation analysis. However, I'm more interested in the expense structure and what simple math can deduce from it.
Let's stick to the amount of 309,000 PLN (raising a child until the age of 18). Dividing this amount over 18 years gives approximately 17,170 PLN annually (1,430 PLN monthly).
For mental health, let's forget about inflation for a moment and consider how much money we'd have if we kept 309,000 PLN in a piggy bank until the child's 18th birthday, withdrawing 1,430 PLN each month 😉
According to the Expense Structure:
Fig. 1. Expense Structure for a Child in 2023
Here begins the magic that, as a mother of three, I cannot grasp.
Why Hasn’t This Structure Been Thoroughly Analyzed and Where Do the Report Authors Shop for Groceries?
We can joke and smile broadly, but this is an important report, widely cited in major media. I wonder how many alimony cases it was used in?
I know there are families who raise children even below this amount, but can they provide adequate food, housing, education, development, and healthcare within this budget? It's not for me to judge, but this amount certainly shouldn't be treated as a benchmark.
The cost of maintaining a prisoner (3,150 PLN to even 4,930 PLN per month) is 2-3 times higher. A child occupies additional square meters in an apartment that needs to be owned and furnished, and with the child, bills grow.
Food is a vast topic, yet the rate for a school lunch is 10-20 PLN depending on the school.
Education? Textbooks for high school for two children cost 1,300 PLN; yes, almost everything new, as program changes require it, plus notebooks, supplies, and gym shoes.
Clothing and Footwear, 57 PLN monthly, suggests a return to sewing from curtains.
A young child's foot grows 2-3 sizes a year, requiring a new wardrobe every six months. I support circular economy and passing clothes among friends, neighbors, and online wholeheartedly. However, dressing a child appropriately for the weather (we still have four seasons, needing warm jackets and snow boots) for 57 PLN monthly is quite challenging.
The report entirely overlooks organized leisure time (sports activities, holidays) 859 PLN annually, calculated for culture and recreation, suffices for one weekly activity at a community center or 1.5 weeks of commercial summer camps. You can see how much organizing a summer camp costs .
What About the Remaining Time When Schools and Preschools Are Closed?
Free Care
1,400 PLN monthly suffices to raise a child, yet the report lacks the most crucial component, which is upbringing itself.
Who Will Do It and What Does It Cost?
Public kindergarten is “free” (funded by the budget) from 8 AM to 1 PM. However, Poland has faced a crisis in nursery and kindergarten availability for years.
Preschool is mandatory, so a place MUST be found, but until then, just six years of childcare and education are a huge cost for many families.
Often exceeding the minimum wage.
Private nursery or kindergarten costs from 800 to over 3,000 PLN monthly. Add to this the food rate, enrollment fee, participation in theater performances, and school trips. A young child requires 24/7 care, and here lies a cost that unfortunately no one wants to calculate.
Usually, it's the mother who quits work for a few years, sometimes supported by the most important institution, the grandmother.
If a mother waited for maternity and reached a higher salary level, the family might use a nanny’s help.
These costs can surprise many, as a 30-50 PLN hourly rate no longer shocks parents.
In this arrangement, the nanny will reheat the meal prepared by parents the day before.
Most parents will master juggling between various available options, preschool, parents, grandparents, nannies.
However, one thing is certain, childcare is an expensive topic, whether paid for at a kindergarten, a nanny, or through lost wages that a mother won’t receive for several years.
Of course, fathers also take care of children. Nevertheless, statistics are overwhelming. I have yet to meet a father on a six-year paternity leave, though I know they exist, I almost wrote that I admire them. Yet, I more admire the millions of mothers who, daily for decades, without recognition or deserved admiration from society, care for children and the home.
What Does Raising a Child Really Cost?
It all depends - is the answer that best captures the complexity of this question.
It can be calculated, the data is certainly available but not published.
It's known how many private kindergartens there are and what their tuition is, how many private medical visits parents have with children, how many camps they attend, and what parents pay for tutoring.
The toy, snack, clothing market for children is quantifiable, but the amount might shock and disbelieve everyone.
Children are expensive, both financially and emotionally, yet they are our future and the most important investment, so benefits will always outweigh costs, but it’s worth being aware of them and making costs realistic in such reports.
Source of the report:
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