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Does Raising Girls Really Cost More Than Raising Boys?

A new survey has shown that British parents reckon they spend more on their daughters than they do on their sons.

Over 2,000 people took part in the survey, run by Sainsbury’s Bank, that asked them to estimate the costs of raising their kids.

They said they spent up to £600 more a year on items for girls than they do on things for boys.

Up to age five, parents think they spend around £5767 on their daughters while boys cost them £300 less (£5475).

The gap widens as children age, with girls aged 14 to 18 supposedly requiring £600 more than their male counterparts (£7747 per year on girls, £7172 on boys).

Jasmine Birtles, founder of website MoneyMagpie.com, wrote a report on the findings and finds herself somewhat baffled.

She said: “I’m surprised that parents feel that even when small, their daughters cost more than their sons. Are parents buying more outfits for their tiny girls?”

It could be that girls are under greater pressure to keep up with fashion; and because girls’ clothing is more expensive than boys’, as the research suggests.


Either way, it’s unlikely to be because parents are shelling out on chemistry sets and encyclopaedias for their daughters and not their sons.

Parents with children under 25 say they spend 21% of their monthly household income on “items” for their children, and most expect to support their children financially until around the age of 29.

Do girls cost more to raise than boys? And if so, is it because of the unrealistic beauty standards and social expectations that society foists on them? Let us know what you think over on Twitter @yahoostyleuk

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