Nursery World - Childcare costs rise by more than £2,000 in over a decade

Childcare costs have risen by over £2,000 a year since 2010 for parents of children under the age of two, new analysis finds.

The TUC warns that mothers are caught in a 'catch-22' with rising childcare costs and statutory maternity pay falling in real terms PHOTO Adobe Stock

According to the research by Trades Union Congress (TUC), childcare fees for under twos have risen by £185 a month, or £2,200 a year, since the Conservatives took power.

The average annual nursery bill for a family with a child under two was £4,992 in 2010. In 2021, it had risen to £7,212 – an increase of 44 per cent - making the UK the country with the second highest childcare costs among leading economies, according to the OECD.

The analysis, which is based on data from Coram Family and Childcare, also warns that mothers are caught in a ‘catch- 22’ with childcare costs rising and statutory maternity pay falling in real value.

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