Expenditures on Children by Families

How much do you spend on your kids?

"Since 1960, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided estimates of expenditures on children from birth through age 17."

This report by Mark Lino, PhD, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion is the most comprehensive study on what we spend on our kids.

An interesting pie chart on page 11 shows percentages
  • Housing 31%
  • Child Care & Education 17%
  • Food 16%
  • Transportation 13%
  • Miscellaneous 9%
  • Health Care 8%
  • Clothing 6%
Click here to read the report and see the chart.

Thanks to Sue Shellenbarger, "Work & Family" Columnist and Senior Writer, The Wall Street Journal and WSJ.com for helping us find the report.

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