2024 COBE Baby Fair (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean households raising infants and toddlers spend significantly less on adult leisure and cultural activities than their childless peers, highlighting the personal sacrifices many parents make in the early years of childrearing.
According to a new report released Tuesday by the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education, the average monthly living expenses for families with children under age five stood at 3.78 million won in 2024 — slightly more than the 3.55 million won spent by similar-age childless households. However, once child-related costs are deducted, parents’ spending on themselves drops steeply.
After subtracting monthly childcare expenses — which averaged 1.51 million won — the effective living expenses for adults in these families fell to 2.27 million won, significantly lower than those of households without children. This disparity was particularly evident in discretionary categories such as leisure, culture, and clothing.
On average, parents of young children spent just 154,000 won per month on adult leisure and cultural activities — roughly one-third of the 499,000 won spent by childless households. Even after including cultural spending for their children, total leisure-related expenses in parenting households remained notably lower.
Spending on clothing also revealed a gap: adults in households without children spent about 307,000 won per month, compared to just 100,000 won among parents of young children. The difference was even more pronounced in categories like electronics, furniture, and exercise equipment, where childless households spent nearly seven times more.
The findings underscore the constrained financial and personal freedom many young parents face — a dynamic often overlooked in public discourse around South Korea’s chronically low birth rate.
“The burden of childcare significantly reduces discretionary spending by parents,” the report stated. “While previous policies have focused on easing direct childrearing costs, more attention is needed to support parents’ overall quality of life.”
The institute recommended not only increased financial support in high-cost categories such as transportation and telecommunications but also policies that give parents more time and space to participate in leisure and cultural activities. “Economic aid must be paired with structural support that helps parents reclaim time and autonomy,” the authors concluded.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
