The Cost of a Child in Scotland in 2024

CPAG’s annual Cost of a Child report looks at how much it costs families to provide a minimum socially acceptable standard of living for their children. It is calculated using the Minimum Income Standard (MIS) research, carried out by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. 

• The cost of raising a child to age 18 is £260,000 for a couple and £290,000 for a lone parent. 
• An inadequate UK-wide social security system means that both in-work and out-of-work families are further away from reaching a decent standard of living than at any point since this research began. 
• Scotland-specific policies (most notably the Scottish child payment) help families, but still many are struggling to meet their minimum costs. 
• An out-of-work couple with two children has less than half the income required (48 per cent) to meet the cost of a minimum acceptable standard of living. Those elsewhere in the UK face an even wider gap, with income covering only 39 per cent of the costs. A lone parent with two children in Scotland has just over half the income required (55 per cent), compared to just 44 per cent elsewhere in the UK. 
• It is not just out-of-work families who are struggling. A lone parent working full time on the minimum wage with two children can only cover 79 per cent of the cost of a child, while a similar couple can only cover 90 per cent. This compares to 69 per cent and 82 per cent respectively elsewhere in the UK. 
• For families in work, the shortfall is particularly stark for larger families. For a lone parent on the minimum wage with three children, the share covered falls to 58 per cent (73 per cent for a couple on the minimum wage with three children). This compares to 45 per cent and 63 per cent respectively elsewhere in the UK. 
• The shortfalls for in-work families outlined above highlight how work, on its own, is not sufficient to enable families to reach a decent standard of living, and social security plays a crucial role. 
• Costs are higher for those living in more remote areas, in particular for transport and social and cultural participation.