How many nappies, and what they cost

Expect about 7 nappy changes a day for the first 6 months. That figure comes from Environment Agency surveys published in 2005, the only UK data by age we could find, and your baby's count will differ. Over a full first year it adds up to around 2,300 nappies, by our sum.

At £4.89 for an own-brand pack of 84, that's about £134.

Changes a day, by age

The Environment Agency's survey table gives changes per day for children still in disposables. Its later report gives the share of children still in nappies at each age. The surveys date from 2004, so this is a rough shape at best.

Multiply those changes by the days in each band and you get about 2,308 nappies in year one and 1,954 in year two. The calculation is ours. The second figure assumes your child stays in nappies right through to 24 months. In those surveys, 45.6% of children in the 18 to 24 month band still were.

The Environment Agency's own average is lower, at 3,796 nappies over the first 2.5 years. It covers all children, including those already out of nappies, so it runs below what one child still in nappies gets through.

A few days after the birth, the NHS expects around 6 wet nappies a day. That's a check on feeding, separate from how often you change. If you're worried about the count, speak to your midwife or health visitor.

What that costs

The Minimum Income Standard (MIS), from Loughborough University, is the best price anchor we found. MIS is what members of the public agree is a minimum, and it isn't average spending, so read it as a floor. Its 2024 list for a child aged 0-1 has own-brand size 4 nappies at £4.99 for 84, at 6 a day, or £2.50 a week.

That £4.99 pack is 5.94p a nappy by our division. The Nutmeg pack in our catalog, at £4.89 for 84, is 5.82p, and that's the price our calculator uses. With the survey counts:

These sums are ours. The 26 months is the Environment Agency's average age out of nappies, 2 years 2 months. As a cross-check, MIS's own £2.50 a week comes to £130 a year.

MIS also lists wipes at £0.80 a week, about £42 a year.

Packs on sale now

Three examples from our catalog, all read at Morrisons. They're different sizes, so this isn't a like-for-like ranking.

• Nutmeg Ultra Dry size 4: £4.89 for 84, sold for 7-14 kg. Checked 3 November 2026
• Rascals Premium size 2: £5.50 for 48. Checked 3 November 2026
• Pampers Baby-Dry size 5: £14 for 72, sold for 11-16 kg. Checked 3 November 2026

At that first pack size, year one's 2,308 nappies would be about 28 packs. In real life you'd buy several sizes as your baby grows. Sizes go by weight, so check the kg range on the pack over any age guide.

Own-label is a full choice. We have no test data showing a branded nappy holds more, so pay for a brand only if it fits your baby better. There's a wider list under nappies in the catalog.

What's fine to skip

• Buying a huge stock of the smallest size before the birth. Babies move through sizes by weight, and we can't tell you how fast yours will
• Worrying about the exact number. These are averages from surveys over 20 years old

We haven't costed reusables. The Environment Agency studies compare them for environmental impact, and we found no current UK price source to set beside them.

Keep nappy sacks away from the cot

RoSPA says nappy sacks should stay out of the reach of babies and young children, and never be stored in or around the cot or pram. If you change nappies at night, keep the pack out of reach. Put your baby back down on their back, on a firm, flat mattress, in a clear cot, in the same room as you for at least the first 6 months, as the NHS advises.

Where this fits in the bigger budget

Our first-year cost guide has the other big lines, and the three-year cost calculator lets you set the age your child comes out of nappies. When that day gets close, what potty training takes and costs picks up the story.