Germany pays four times less than Poles for nurseries and kindergartens. Here are the calculations
Child care costs remain a high burden for family budgets in almost all of Europe. However, some countries offer strong support in raising children, while in others parents must spend a large part of their earnings on nurseries and kindergartens.
The Euronews station, citing the OECD data from 2023, showed how many in individual European countries you have to pay annually for nurseries and kindergartens. Statistics apply to families with two children from two to three years old.
As the station's website explains, “gross costs are fees incurred by parents after taking into account public subsidies for service providers, but before all subsidies resulting from the family situation.”
Check: The city is expanding nurseries. New places for hundreds of children
The data shows that the annual gross care over the child in Germany is only 552 euros (PLN 2.3 thousand) and is the lowest in all of Europe. The most child's care costs in Switzerland – over 64,000 euro (PLN 272 thousand). The most in the European Union is paid in the Netherlands – nearly 40,000 euro (PLN 170,000). In Poland, this amount is 2.1 thousand. euro (PLN 8.9 thousand).
Among our neighbors Czechs pay less – 1.8 thousand euro (PLN 7.6 thousand) and Lithuanians – 1.9 thousand euro (8,000 euros). Slightly more Slovaks – 2.8 thousand euro (PLN 11.9 thousand). There is a lack of data for Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.
Net amounts differ from gross amounts. The number of hosts is also important
Net costs depend on whether the family has one or two hosts. In some countries, especially in those where the costs are not high, you pay similarly. In those where maintaining a child costs more, one host can count on additional benefits.
According to the definition presented by the website, net costs are “total gross fees reduced by benefits for childcare, corrected by changes in taxes and other benefits.”
Net costs in Greece, Italy and Malta for a family with one host are zero (in Italy and in Malta also with two) – writes Euronews. There is Switzerland at the second pole, where in an analogous situation a parent pays over 10,000. euro (PLN 42 thousand) a year. In Great Britain it is over 9.9 thousand. euro.
In Poland, the net amount for one host is 1.6 thousand. euro (PLN 6.8 thousand). Two parents pay the same. In Germany, it is 425 and 430 euros (PLN 1.8 thousand), respectively. In the Czech Republic, 2.6 thousand euro (PLN 11,000), in Slovakia 1.9 thousand euro (PLN 8,000) and 2.1 thousand euro (PLN 8.9 thousand), and in Lithuania 1.2 thousand euro (PLN 5.1 thousand) and 1.9 thousand euro.
It costs so much to raise a child in Poland
Euronews also compared what percentage of the average salary is allocated to nurseries and kindergartens. The service called this “key indicator” that allows you to compare countries among themselves.
Look: A nursery for a child is like a well -interest deposit
Regardless of whether the family has one or two hosts in Germany, it is 1 percent, and in Poland 9 percent. Slovaks spend 17 percent average salary, Czechs 12 percent, and Lithuanians 5 percent For one parent and 8 percent with two.
Switzerland (28 percent with two hosts and 10 percent at one), the Netherlands (26 and 11), Cyprus (26 and 6), Great Britain (25 and 28) and Ireland (22 and 14) record the largest percentage of net expenditure.
