[Survey on child-rearing expenditures for households in Japan: Web-based questionnaire conducted in 2024].

Abstract

Objectives　The financial burden of raising children is a societal concern in Japan. Since the 2009 Cabinet Office survey on child-rearing costs, which was conducted online, a few comprehensive assessments of the total cost of raising children in Japanese households have been subsequently conducted. This study aimed to estimate both annual and cumulative child-rearing costs from birth to age 18, categorizing expenses by preschool, elementary school, junior high school, and high school years, and examine changes in expenditure since 2009.Methods　A web-based survey on child-rearing expenses was conducted in November 2024, targeting mothers with children aged 0-18 years, who had their first child in Japan. Child-rearing costs were assessed across 13 expenditure categories, ensuring comparability with the Cabinet Office survey. The mean and standard deviation (SD) of annual costs were calculated for each category across schooling years, excluding extreme values exceeding three SDs. The total annual cost was derived by summing categorized expenditures. The results were compared with those of the 2009 Cabinet Office survey to evaluate cost trends over time.Results　In total, 6408 responses were collected, including 4166 valid responses. The total estimated expenditure for raising a child from birth through the third year of high school was approximately JPY 25,701,956. When excluding savings and insurance, the cost was approximately JPY 21,727,154. Annual child-rearing expenses tended to increase with the age of the child, with a pronounced increase observed in educational costs during the transitions to junior high and high schools. The cumulative cost from birth through the third year of junior high school was JPY 18,995,250 in the 2009 survey and JPY 19,530,626 in the present study.Conclusion　This study revealed that households with lower incomes tend to allocate a higher proportion of their income to living expenses and that the financial burden on these households is particularly high during the high school years and during transitions to new educational stages, such as entry into junior high or high schools. Developing economic support programs for households raising children should be guided by data, including the expenditure patterns identified in this study.