Do You Know How Much It Costs to Raise a Child?

Content creator Vikhyat Singh’s estimate of the cost of raising a child in India until the age of 18 has sparked widespread discussion. According to his calculation, a family could spend around ₹1.39 crore on one child, covering pregnancy and delivery, medical expenses, food, education, tuition, healthcare, clothing, entertainment, transportation and additional housing costs. He also suggested that inflation, higher education and investment-related expenses could push the overall amount beyond ₹2 crore.

According to the breakdown, around ₹3 lakh could be spent on pregnancy, delivery and medical expenses, while the first two years may require another ₹6 lakh for diapers, vaccinations, food and other needs. From ages two to 18, he estimated ₹15 lakh for food, ₹33 lakh for education, ₹9 lakh for tuition, ₹5.4 lakh for healthcare, ₹9 lakh for entertainment, ₹7.2 lakh for clothing, ₹4 lakh for electronic gadgets, ₹8 lakh for sports and cultural activities, ₹8 lakh for transportation and ₹32.4 lakh for additional house rent. The viral estimate has divided netizens, with some agreeing that child-rearing has become expensive, while others argue that the love and happiness children bring cannot be measured in monetary terms.