The Chinese economy has been flourishing at a rapid rate. However along with the steady economic progress, the cost of living in China has also been growing over the years. The higher cost of living in China is such a stark reality for its citizens that when in 2013 the Chinese government eased up on ‘one child policy’, it raised concerns among the people.
If the cost of raising children in China is a matter of anxiety for its citizens, how does it affect the expatriate community in China?
The concerns
Bringing up kids is not an easy thing to do, even when parents do not have any financial or personal problems. There are a million things that could go wrong or there is always a nagging feeling at the back of parents’ mind if they are doing all they can for their children. This is a part of parenting. However, the parenting anxieties could double if you are living the life of an expat and need to raise your kids in a foreign country. The concerns could more than double if you are living in a country like China where the cost of living is very high and expats face language barriers as well as strong cultural traditions.
If you are raising children in China, you must already be aware of the problems and concerns of being a new parent in a foreign country. After the announcement by the Chinese government allowing couples to have a second child if one spouse is an only child, there have been a flurry of surveys and opinions running rampant in the media. To some Chinese couples the announcement means nothing, as they believe raising one child has been tough enough. So how does higher cost of living affect foreigners raising their children in China.
The expenses
In all the surveys conducted, the high cost of education has been cited as the number one concern by parents. The figures floating around indicate that the cost of one kindergarten semester alone costs about 10,000 yuan. While middle class families are spending about 100,000 yuan for education alone and well-off families up to 300,000 and this doesn’t include university cost; this calls for serious planning and savings on the part of parents who are raising their children in China.
Other expenses like food and insurance for kids also run into thousands of yuan. And let’s not forget the hospital bills if you are giving birth in China. So if you are a new parent who would be raising children in China or giving birth to your first kid in China, it would help you a great deal if you to research and plan for the things you wish to have for your child and to save money accordingly. Every family’s budget is different, so each family’s plan will look different.
Founders of havingababyinchina.com, Jeremy and Jacquelyn have four children. The first three were born in three different hospitals in China and the last was born at home in the US. Jeremy and Jacquelyn created havingababyinchina.com in 2009 after they found little information for foreigners having babies in China. They love connecting with other foreigners having babies. Learn more about them on the about page.
Thanks for the article! I was wondering how the hospital costs through pregnancy and the actual birth differed from China to America.
Thanks,
Alan