Raising children is a rewarding experience but one that comes with a significant financial commitment. In New Zealand, as in many other countries, the cost of raising a child has become an important consideration for many people planning to start a family.
While it's true that these costs can add up, understanding the financial landscape can help future parents plan effectively and make informed decisions about growing their families.
Whether it's budgeting for education, healthcare, or day-to-day expenses, being aware of the typical costs associated with raising children in New Zealand can make the financial commitment less scary. Here’s how much it costs to raise children in New Zealand in 2024.
Before we get into the cost of raising kids, it’s important to start at the beginning with childbirth. New Zealand has a subsidised health system, making a lot of the costs associated with birth either free or reasonably affordable.
Antenatal Care: Visits to a Lead Maternity Carer (LMC), who could be a midwife, obstetrician, or general practitioner (GP), are covered. This includes regular check-ups, necessary scans, and tests during pregnancy.
Labour and Delivery: The costs associated with giving birth in a public hospital or birthing centre are covered. This includes the use of facilities, medical staff, and any necessary interventions, such as a cesarean section, if required.
Postnatal Care: After the birth, postnatal care for the mother and baby, including home visits by the midwife for up to six weeks, is also free.
For more information on what's covered, please visit Te Whatu Ora.
While the majority of costs are covered, there may be some additional expenses:
Private Scans or Tests: If you choose to have extra scans or tests outside of what is recommended and provided by the public system, there may be costs involved.
Private Obstetrician: Some people opt to have a private obstetrician or give birth in a private hospital, which can be costly. However, this is not necessary in the public system.
Non-Medical Preferences: If you have specific preferences for your birthing experience, such as a private room, certain non-standard pain relief methods, or other non-essential services, these might incur costs if they are not part of the standard public healthcare provision.
Saving for a baby can make it easier to cover baby equipment, nappies and other essentials as well as childcare.
Childcare: In New Zealand, parents are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity or paternity leave after the birth of a child. However, only 26 of those weeks are paid. The maximum weekly rate for employees or self-employed parents is NZ$754.87 per week.
Formula and food: Most parents spend around NZ$40 on formula and food per child. This amounts to NZ$2080/year.
Nappies and baby supplies: The cost of nappies and other baby supplies like wipes comes out at around NZ$30/week or NZ$1560year.
Childcare: On average, New Zealanders spend NZ$130-NZ$160 per week for a baby in childcare. The annual cost of care depends on how much maternity leave you’ll use. If you were to return to work at the end of the paid parental leave period, the annual cost of childcare start from NZ$4,160.
Clothing: Most families budget around NZ$40/month or NZ$520/week for baby clothing.
Baby supplies: On average, parents spend around NZ$1285 on a cot and bedroom supplies such as a mattress, protector, sheets, and a baby monitor.
A baby typically costs Kiwi parents between NZ$8,000 and NZ$16,000 a year. This comes out to between NZ$153/week on a medium budget or NZ$307 a week on a high-spend budget. Parents spend an average of NZ$391/week on children between the ages of 1 and 3, as the cost of all categories increases.
Raising a primary school-aged child in New Zealand involves various costs, which can differ based on where you live, your lifestyle, and whether the child attends a public or private school. Below is an overview of the typical expenses you might expect:
Public Schools: Public schools in New Zealand are funded by the government, so there are no mandatory tuition fees. However, schools often request voluntary donations ranging from NZ$100 to NZ$500 per year. Some schools may also charge fees for specific activities, like camps or sports, which can add up to around NZ$100 to NZ$300 annually.
Private Schools: If you opt for a private primary school, tuition fees can range from NZ$10,000 to NZ$30,000 per year, depending on the school.
School Supplies: The cost of school uniforms, stationery, and other supplies varies by school but can typically range from NZ$200 to NZ$500 per year. Some schools have compulsory uniform requirements, which can add to the cost.
Extracurricular Activities: Extracurricular activities like sports, music lessons, and other hobbies can range from NZ$500 to NZ$2,000 per year, depending on the activities your child participates in.
Childcare and After-School Care: If both parents are working, after-school care is often necessary. The cost for after-school programs can range from NZ$10 to NZ$20 per day, or around NZ$50 to NZ$100 per week. Over a year, this could total between NZ$2,000 and NZ$4,000.
Food and Nutrition: The cost of feeding a primary school-aged child can vary based on dietary needs and preferences. You might spend between NZ$50 and NZ$80 per week on groceries for your child, which would total approximately NZ$2,600 to NZ$4,160 per year.
Healthcare: Healthcare for children under 14 is free in New Zealand, including GP visits. However, you might encounter costs for prescriptions, dental care, or optometry, which could amount to around NZ$100 to NZ$300 per year, depending on your child’s needs.
Considering all these factors, the estimated annual cost of raising a primary school-aged child in New Zealand can range from NZ$6,000 to NZ$15,000 for families using the public education system. For those opting for private education, the costs could be substantially higher, potentially reaching NZ$30,000 to NZ$50,000 per year.
As children grow into their teenage years, their needs, wants, and associated costs tend to increase in a few key areas:
School Costs: While basic education remains free in public schools, teenagers often have additional expenses related to school activities, camps, sports, and special programmes. These can cost anywhere from NZ$500-NZ$1,000 a year. The cost of extra tutoring can also add up. The average cost per hour is NZ$60 for maths, English or science tutoring.
Extracurricular Activities: Many teenagers are involved in more advanced and specialised extracurricular activities, such as competitive sports, music lessons, or other hobbies. These activities can become more expensive due to higher equipment costs, competition fees, and travel expenses. Many schools simply charge a one-off sport fee of around NZ$20/year to cover administrative costs. However, more expensive or specialist sports like archery or rowing cost more.
Technology: Teenagers often require smartphones, laptops, or tablets for schoolwork and socialising. A basic phone or laptop can start from NZ$500+.
Clothing: Teenagers often have preferences for clothing and usually need more frequent updates to their wardrobe as they outgrow their clothing. It’s not unusual for teens to need a whole new wardrobe almost every year. Shops like Glassons and Hallensteins are still affordable and sell on-trend clothes at prices as low as NZ$20.99 for shirts, tops and pants.
Personal Care: The cost of personal care items, such as skincare products, cosmetics, or grooming services, typically increases during the teenage years. Adding basic necessities like deodorants, feminine care products and skincare can add another NZ$50/month to your grocery bill.
Transportation Costs: As teenagers reach driving age, there are additional costs associated with driving lessons, obtaining a driver’s license, and potentially contributing to a car’s purchase and maintenance. Fees associated with driving include:
Driving Lessons (through AA) NZ$85
Learner licence NZ$96.10
Restricted licence NZ$167.50
Full licence NZ$98.90.
Healthcare Costs: While basic healthcare remains free for those under 14, older teenagers may require more frequent healthcare visits for things like dental care (e.g., orthodontics), optometry (e.g., contact lenses), or other specialised care. Orthodontic treatment for a teenager can cost anywhere from NZ$5,000 to NZ$12,000 over two or three years.
The annual cost of raising a teenager in New Zealand could range from NZ$10,000 to NZ$20,000 or more, especially if the teenager is involved in many extracurricular activities, uses technology extensively, or has significant healthcare and personal care needs.
Yes and no. It is expensive to raise children in New Zealand, but only because the country itself has a high cost of living. The country has a fantastic public school system and a comprehensive public healthcare system which means you won’t be compromising quality by not having private health insurance or sending your kids to public schools.
The government also helps subsidise the cost of raising a family with weekly payments through the Working for Families tax credit
Families with one child who earn less than NZ$1279/week are entitled to between NZ$5-NZ$136/week.
Families with two children who earn less than NZ$1712/week are entitled to between NZ$8-NZ$248/week.
Families with three children who earn less than NZ$2144/week are entitled to between NZ$2-NZ$360/week.
Families with four children who earn less than NZ$2317/week are entitled to between NZ$28-NZ$471/week.
Families with five children who earn less than NZ$2317/week are entitled to between NZ$179-NZ$583/week.
Families with six children who earn less than NZ$2317/week are entitled to between NZ$290-NZ$694/week.
Check out the Working For Families payments here.
You can learn more about raising a child in New Zealand by reading our guide on Understand New Zealand's School System.
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