Childcare fees in Australia outpace inflation with rises of up to 32%, report finds

The ACCC says half of households with the lowest incomes spend 5% to 21% of their disposable income on childcare while those on the highest incomes spend 2% to 9%. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP

Childcare fees have outpaced inflation in the past five years, with rises of between 20% and 32% from 2018 to 2022 according to a report from the competition regulator.

Households are now paying 4% more for centre-based and outside-school-hours care, 6% more for family daycare and 15% more for in-home care services, once adjusted for inflation.