₹1.17 crore and counting: The new financial reality of raising a child in India

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

₹1.17 crore reality

Financial experts say raising a child in India now costs around ₹1.17 crore from birth to age 21. For middle- and upper-middle-class families, it’s a long-term commitment that rivals buying a house.

Tuition Takes Over

Education eats up 46% of the total cost. With annual fee hikes and rising competition, even basic schooling can feel like financing a degree abroad.

More Than Meals

Food and clothing account for just over 10%—but they’re daily, recurring costs that quietly snowball over two decades of growing kids and evolving tastes.

The Price of Play

Entertainment clocks in at ₹12.87 lakh. From birthday parties and gaming consoles to coaching classes and content subscriptions, fun comes with a price tag.

Housing for Kids

A child changes your space needs. Families spend close to ₹20 lakh more on rent, upgrades, and location-based decisions to ensure safety, schooling, and comfort.

Health Isn’t Free

₹4.29 lakh goes into healthcare, from routine vaccinations and dental visits to hospital emergencies. Even with insurance, out-of-pocket costs remain significant.

Transport Tally

Daily drop-offs, pickups, and school bus fees add up to ₹5.36 lakh. Add to that cycles, helmets, and eventually scooters—mobility costs span the childhood arc.

Hidden in ‘Others’

₹3.21 lakh sits in miscellaneous spending: school trips, gifts, tutoring, tech gadgets. These “optional” expenses often become essential in modern parenting.

Inflation Is Coming

With education inflation soaring at 7–10%, today’s ₹1.17 crore could look modest in 10 years. Experts advise families to plan early—and plan long.