Back to school 2021: an average parent spends 198 on school supplies
- Ecoaula.es
In the basic group of school supplies for a first-year child there are tools and supplies without which the schooling would be impossible. We intentionally do not compare prices for replacement shoes, uniforms, or textbooks, as rules and related requirements vary from school to school. The shopping list is divided into 4 categories: backpack, stationery, artistic material and sportswear.
According to the advice of specialists, the backpack should have an ergonomic backrest, wide shoulder straps and should not exceed 10% to 15% of the child's weight. The backpacks, which meet these requirements, cost an average of 26.75 euros.
Simple notebooks, a pencil case, covers for notebooks and books, pens and pencils, a ruler, an eraser, etc. They are part of the "Stationery" category. Its cost is about 67.63 euros.
The "Art material" category contains colored paper and cardboard, drawing pad, colored pens, paints, among others. Products in this category cost around 61.24 euros.
On the other hand, in sportswear for Physical Education, white t-shirts (2 pieces), shorts and sports shoes must be detailed. Taking into account the average prices in the Spanish market, you have to spend 42.03 euros on this set.
Summarizing, the cost of the basic school set in Spain in 2021 is 197.64 euros.
Comparison between school supplies costs and wages
We looked at the prices of the same basic set of school supplies in other countries and saw how much it costs parents to prepare their children for school.
According to information from the National Institute of Statistics, the average salary in Spain in the first quarter of 2021 is 1,907.82 euros (1,500.51 euros net). This means that to buy just the essentials for a first grader, an average parent would have to invest 13.2% of her salary. In a worse situation are parents in Portugal (13.5%), the Czech Republic (20.8%) and Russia (25.9%).
The top 3 places are held by Ireland, Switzerland and the UAE where the ratio of school supplies costs to average salary is 3.9%, 4.3% and 4.9%, respectively. In contrast, in Nigeria (96.6%), Moldova (45.3%) and Belarus (32.4%), going back to school turns out to be a demanding challenge for the family budget.
State support
Among the countries where benefits are offered for children starting the school year, Poland stands out. In this country, all children are covered by the "Good Start" program, the amount of which amounts to about 66 euros. A benefit of this amount is capable of covering approximately 80% of the expenses in the basic products included in this study.
Another European country, where there is similar unconditional support for parents, is Austria. This program is called "Schulstartgeld" and it applies to all children between the ages of 5 and 16 (100 euros). On the other hand, in Germany, the Czech Republic or Romania, an income criterion must be met to receive the start-of-course aid.
However, general aids for school supplies are not a worldwide standard.
As far as Spain is concerned, the most common benefit is the loan of textbooks and school supplies for socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Financial aid is more often offered at the municipal level.
Methodology and data source
This study was based on retail prices in online stores in Spain and other countries in the world in August 2021. Average salary amounts come from the official websites of the competent authorities of each country. Finally, for the currency conversion, the indicators of the last 90 days according to Google Finance were used.
Related Articles