Boys cost thousands of pounds more to bring up than girls because of their obsession with sports and electronic games, says a survey.

Raising sons costs £32,000 through their school years, £7,000 more than daughters. Parents run up a bill of £2,143.75 a year buying their sons gadgets, including computer game consoles, equipment for their hobbies and new clothes. Daughters cost £1,631.86 a year - or £24,739.03 throughout their childhood.

The study, by GE Money, examined the spending habits of 2,000 parents. Boys cost more to clothe compared with girls, with £3,933.86 spent during a boy’s childhood, compared with £3,173.66 on a girl.

Another £2,606.10 is spent on a boy’s school uniform - almost £1,000 more than the £1,652.70 it costs for a girl. Parents then have to spend £2,602.60 on their son’s leisure activities, such as football and bowling, while daughters will ask for £1,011.64 for their hobbies.

Parents spend £3,027.22 on electronic gadgets during their sons’ childhoods. Girls will have £1,502.34 of new gadgets, such as iPods and mobile telephones, bought for them.

Boys also have £2,765.84 spent on after-school activities, as well as £1,322.58 for various club memberships. Sports equipment adds another £1,584.66 to the total.

Daughters cost parents £1,406.86 on new shoes throughout their childhood, while accessories add up to another £855.96. Image-conscious girls will have £2,373.84 spent on toiletries.

GE Money said: “Raising a family is an exciting and enjoyable time. As this survey demonstrates, on occasions it can also stretch the family finances. Sticking to an agreed budget is vital. The survey has thrown up some surprising statistics and lifestyle differences.”

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