According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, the average cost of raising children for parents in Estonia in 2025 is 564.62 euros per month per child. This includes food, clothing, housing, and other necessities.
When considering child benefits and large family benefits, parents in a single-child family still have to pay 484 euros per month. In larger families, this amount is even higher.
According to a study, the cost of raising a child in 2019 was 388 euros per month. Scientists used international methods to calculate children's expenses.
Scientist Ene-Margit Tiit says that support should be more service-based than financial. Financial support does not always reach the child directly. For example, sports support directly benefits children, but money given to the family may be spent on other expenses.
Tiit believes that politicians choose the easier solution—distributing money. Organizing services requires more work but helps better.
Demographer Mark Gortfelder says that raising a child is expensive. Raising one child costs over 100,000 euros. This is one of the reasons why fewer children are being born.
Gortfelder does not believe that financial support alone would help. He also supports creating services, such as hobby education. He believes that childcare issues are regional, not nationwide.
Gortfelder says that balancing work and family life is easier today than 20 years ago. He does not see this as a major problem.