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After a year marked by high cost of living, this September Spanish families are facing the most expensive back-to-school period in history. The expenses are essential, but for many households they put enormous strain on their tight family budgets.
Data from the financial portal Banqmi indicates that this year the average cost per pupil in Spain will rise to 411 euros, which represents an increase of 1.4% compared to 2022 and comes after last year's cost shot up by more than 5%.
Change in the average back-to-school cost per pupil in Spain (euros)
410.71
406.07
386.76
379.71
371.87
367.37
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Source: Banqmi
Change in the average back-to-school cost per pupil in Spain (euros)
367.37
2018
371.87
2019
379.71
2020
386.76
2021
406.07
2022
410.71
2023
Change in the average back-to-school cost per pupil in Spain (euros)
367.37
2018
371.87
2019
379.71
2020
386.76
2021
406.07
2022
410.71
2023
Source: Banqmi
Change in the average back-to-school cost per pupil in Spain (euros)
410.71
406.07
386.76
379.71
371.87
367.37
2019
2018
2020
2021
2022
2023
Source: Banqmi
More than eight million pupils are going back to school in Spain this week and depending on the school and the region they live in, they will have to be equipped with books, stationery, bags, comfortable clothes or uniforms... Calculations by consumer organisation OCU reveal that during the last school year the annual cost per child was 2,200 euros, although the differences are very large depending on the type of school and the level of studies, sources point out.
It doesn't only depend on the type of school, there are also big differences between regions. Banqmi data shows that the most expensive back-to-school price tag is in the region of Valencia, with an average expenditure of 465 euros per pupil, followed by Catalonia (448 euros) and Navarre (447). On the other hand, the most economical regions in this respect are Extremadura (383 euros), Castilla-La Mancha (387) and the Canary Islands (389).
School expenses per student by region (euros)
465.55
447.86
447.36
389.83
387.34
383.38
Catalonia
Valencia
Navarre
Canary Islands
Castilla-La Mancha
Extremadura
Source: Banqmi
School expenses per student by region (euros)
465.55
Valencia
447.86
Catalonia
447.36
Navarre
389.83
Canary Islands
387.34
Castilla-La Mancha
383.38
Extremadura
Source: Banqmi
School expenses per student by region (euros)
465.55
Valencia
447.86
Catalonia
447.36
Navarre
389.83
Canary Islands
387.34
Castilla-La Mancha
383.38
Extremadura
Source: Banqmi
School expenses per student by region (euros)
465.55
447.86
447.36
389.83
387.34
383.38
Valencia
Catalonia
Navarre
Canary Islands
Castilla-La Mancha
Extremadura
Source: Banqmi
José Manuel Corrales, an economics expert and lecturer at the European University of Madrid, explains that although it was thought that the rise of online classes and remote working would lead to savings in school materials, «in the end it has not been like that». «This means that inflation is occurring in all areas, including schools,» he said. For this reason, he calls for education authorities to encourage the use of second-hand books and for school grants for laptops.
According to figures from Idealo, the most expensive element of the back-to-school period in Spain is textbooks. Pupils have to buy them themselves in many regions and Spain has the highest prices in Europe. This year, Spanish pupils' textbooks cost 6.2% more than last year, 30% more than in Germany and 15% more than in the United Kingdom.
Each textbook costs 22.20 euros on average in Spain, compared with 20 euros per copy in France, 18.70 euros in the United Kingdom and 16.90 euros in Germany.
Average cost of a textbook in Europe (euros)
22.15
21.54
20.94
18.71
17.71
16.95
Spain
France
Austria
Germany
Italy
United Kingdom
Average cost of a textbook in Europe (euros)
22.15
21.54
20.94
18.71
17.71
16.95
Spain
Italy
France
United Kingdom
Austria
Germany
Average cost of a textbook in Europe (euros)
22.15
21.54
20.94
18.71
17.71
16.95
Spain
Italy
France
United Kingdom
Austria
Germany
Average cost of a textbook in Europe (euros)
22.15
21.54
20.94
18.71
17.71
16.95
Spain
Italy
France
United Kingdom
Austria
Germany
According to Idealo, approximately 310 euros per child is spent on textbooks alone. After books, the second biggest expense is stationery, followed by shoes and backpacks. According to their calculations, going back to school will be even more expensive per pupil than Banqmi claims, increasing the average investment this year to 449 euros, 6% more than last year.
Biggest expenses in the run-up to the new school year (euros)
Textbooks
309,62
Stationery 47,66
Footwear 31,71
School bag 30,92
Sportswear 29,32
Source: Idealo
Biggest expenses in the run-up to the new school year (euros)
Textbooks
309,62
Stationery 47,66
Footwear 31,71
School bag 30,92
Sportswear 29,32
Source: Idealo
Biggest expenses in the run-up to the new school year (euros)
Textbooks
309,62
Stationery 47,66
Footwear 31,71
School bag 30,92
Sportswear 29,32
Source: Idealo
Biggest expenses in the run-up to the new school year (euros)
Textbooks
309,62
Stationery 47,66
Footwear 31,71
School bag 30,92
Sportswear 29,32
Source: Idealo
Consumer associations recommend comparing prices to reduce costs. Facua advises not to buy everything in the first store visited, but to compare several places and choose the one that best suits the economy of each family. The association insists on the need not to get carried away by well-known brands or by the presence of famous faces on items for children, because they tend to determine the price much more than the quality of the product. Facua also reminds families that schools cannot force them to buy books or uniforms from a particular shop, even if some schools try to impose this.
The OCU sets out ten practical tips for saving money during the back-to-school season:
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4
5
6
7
8
9
10
All of these recommendations are key for families to ensure that their children's return to school is less stressful financially, explain the consumer associations, especially in a period in which the cost of living continues to rise, as has been the case in Spain for more than a year.
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