Childcare fees in Australia are among the highest in the world, an international investigation has revealed.
In Australia parents are forking out up to $200 a day, or $1000 a week for full time childcare, The Daily Telegraph reported.
With government subsidies this comes down to $500 per week up to a cap of $7613.
Childcare fees in Australia are among the highest in the world (stock image)
In Berlin, Germany, regardless of income parents pay a maximum of just $1.57 per day or $7.85 per week (stock image)
Compare this to Berlin in Germany, where regardless of income parents pay a maximum of $1.57 per day or $7.85 per week.
In Berlin changes were introduced in 2007 to make childcare more affordable.
Early Childhood Australia chief executive Samantha Page said childcare costs were far too high for parents.
‘Affordability is a major problem for parents and there is genuine public interest in reducing that,’ she said.
But Education Minister Simon Birmingham said comparing childcare fees from different countries didn’t give an accurate representation.
He said Australian parents were paying 15.7 percent of the household income on childcare costs, which was only slightly above the OECD average of 12.67 percent.
Education Minister Simon Birmingham said comparing childcare fees from different countries didn’t give an accurate representation.
In Australia parents are forking out up to $200 a day, or $1000 a week for full time childcare (stock image)
Head of the OECD’s early childhood education research Eric Charbonnier said the Australia’s proportion of household expenditure was higher than any other country.
‘If you look at fees and private expenditure Australia is really the country with the highest level of private expenditure,’ Mr Charbonnier said.
‘The cost is particularly difficult for middle class families.’
In Ireland parents pay up to €185 ($AU 283.66) a week (five days) for childcare.
In London, England, the maximum parents pay is about £290.73 ($AU 500.53) per week.