Nursery World - Childcare costs soar by 5 per cent in past year

The cost of a nursery place for a child under two has risen by 4.8 per cent in the past year, more than double the average rise in wages, according to the annual survey by the Daycare Trust.

The most expensive nursery was in the West Midlands and charged parents £11 an hour. This means that parents could pay £28,600 a year for 50 hours a week.

London and the south-east of England are still the most expensive areas of Britain for childcare.
The average cost for a child under two in the capital for 25 hours a week is £118.54 a week or £6,164 a year.

Childcare is cheapest in the north-west, where the same number of hours is £82.70 a week, the equivalent of £4,300 a year.

The survey, now in its tenth year, is compiled from figures provided by Family Information Services.

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