Count the money in three stretches: ages 0 to 3, compulsory education, and after compulsory education

Moderate value
Evidence C
Saves money
Costs a lot
Takes some hours
Some willpower

In plain words

From 0 to 3, the money goes mainly to how the child is looked after: yourselves, the grandparents, or someone you hire. From primary school to junior high, it goes mainly to housing and extracurricular costs. After that, it goes mainly to the path of further schooling. The three stretches are spent very differently, and lumping them together only gives a frightening total.

Cost: There is no fixed amount: it varies enormously by city and by how you raise the child. The hard part is settling down to work out the three stretches separately instead of guessing one number.
What you get: From 0 to 3, the biggest item is the way of caring for the child: yourselves, the grandparents, or someone you hire. In the compulsory education stage (primary school to junior high), the biggest items are housing and extracurricular spending. After that, the biggest item is the path of further schooling. The three stretches are spent very differently, and if you lump them together you only get a frightening total.
Notes: First count the money you are sure to get, such as the childcare subsidy, the maternity allowance and medical insurance reimbursement, and then see how much is still missing. Don't make a decision from the figure circulating online for "how many 10,000s (万) it takes to raise a child," because the basis of such numbers is unclear, and you don't know what they counted and what they left out.
Evidence grade: C : The author's experience or common practice, without direct literature.
Sources: 作者经验，无直接文献

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 18, tip 5. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer