The Organization of consumers and users (OCU) warned him a few weeks ago: this is going to be the most expensive ‘back to school’ in history. This association was based on the fact that it was last year and that in 2023 everything has continued to become more expensive, with which, in addition, the purchasing power of those who buy is even fairer. Now, the entity has specified the figure: at the start of the 2023-2024 academic year, a family will have to pay an average of 530 euros per child, between material, registration and dining room.
According to the latest data published by the Statistics National Institute (INE), referring to the month of July, a large part of this increase is due to products. The textbooks They have become more expensive by 4.6% in one year, the highest increase since the summer of 2009. The category has also been installed at these growth rates throughout the year. In general, the paper products they cost 12.7% more than in July of last year, when they had already increased their price by 23%. And the category that groups the rest of stationery and drawing material6.2%, even more than it did in July 2022.
In any case, again according to information from the INE, also the child education it has become more expensive by 1.3%; the primary, 4.5%; and the secondary, 3.1%. In all three cases, they imply price increases greater than those of last year, than those of the previous year and, in general, than what was usual before the pandemic at this time of the year.
Lastly, the Lunch service costs 3.4% more, a rate that skyrocketed in September of last year after years installed at around 1% and that had not been noted since 2009. However, it is usually in September that this indicator rises, which probably means the price increase is even higher. In Catalonia, this course the dining room will be worth 6.91 euros per student per day, 37 cents more than last year. It is the third time that Educació has raised prices since the 2007-08 academic year. The price was frozen for 13 years, until the 20-21 academic year, when it rose for the first time. It remained in the 21-22 course and went up for the second time this course 22-23.
The second-hand material market has skyrocketed by 70%
In practice, what all these percentages mean is that a set of five textbooks that last year it cost 125 euros, this year, at this point, it would have to cost a little more than 130 euros. A pack of 100 sheets that was situated at 5 euros, today it costs almost 6. And a school agenda that was around 20, is already close to 21.5 euros.
In total, between that, pens, felt pens, shoes, tracksuits, poles and pantsamong many other things, the OCU calculates that the average cost per student will be around 530 euros, a figure that amounts to €2,189 by expanding the look to make it annual and by adding enrollment, school fees, extracurricular or the dining room. More serious is the situation in Madrid or Catalonia, the communities where going back to school is even more expensive: 2,904 euros on average per child will be paid by families in Madrid. The Catalans, 2,728 euros.
These figures may vary depending on the level of studies and, above all, the type of school. The type of center you go to is the most decisive thing: according to this, the annual cost can be from 1,060 euros per child in a public center to more than 7,000 on average in a private center. Between both extremes are those who go to a concerted center, where on average they spend 3,045 euros.
What’s behind the uploads?
“Here there is everything, from the cost of first materials (he paperfor example, has risen a lot, but also the chemicals and plastics what is behind pens and markers), up to the transportthe energy and even the wages& rdquor ;, points the economist and technical secretary of the Col·legi d’Economistes de Catalunya, Àngel Hermosilla. “All this is a sum of price increases that make the product rise more than it did five years ago,” explains the expert, making it clear that this type of product tends to become more expensive at this time of year, because it is when families return from vacation and they start buying.
It is largely due to the context and the expense that summer entails, that, in a normal year, the ‘Back to school’ is already a challenge almost comparable to that of the ‘january slope‘, but this year it is getting worse, Hermosilla acknowledges, due to inflation. “There are people who saved a lot during the pandemic and have been getting by, but we are in a situation where this has run out, September is coming, the Consumer price index (CPI) places the price of food 10% higher…”, lists the economist.
credits and second hand
Hence, they also grow credits orders for this reason: the Finanzate financial intermediation company ensures that the requested capital has increased by almost 30% in the last three years. “This figure reveals the magnitude of the financial pressure families face in their effort to ensure that their children have the necessary resources to succeed in their education & rdquor ;, underline those responsible for these data in a statement. For reference, the European Consumer Payments Report credit management company intrum points out that 83% of parents in Spain acknowledge having borrowed money or having exceeded the limit of their credit card to buy items for their sons or daughters. They are 77%, in Catalonia. A path that is understandable if one takes into account that three out of four families live from day to dayaccording to data from the OCU.
Related news
Thus, given how complicated this scenario is in 2023, it is not uncommon for the second hand market It has shot up 70% this summer, according to data offered by the economist Àngel Hermosilla. “People look for alternatives to the new book: either buying what is strictly necessary now waiting for look for the rest in a more moderate rising phase or explore formulas collaborative consumption”, indicates.
He Second-hand buying and selling portal Milanuncios claims that the demand for already used textbooks has more than doubled (+166%) between June and August, a percentage that is even somewhat higher (+169%) in Catalonia, the third autonomy with the most demand, after Madrid and Andalusia. “If this continues, it is possible that the manufacturers of textbooks or school clothes will have to reconsider their prices,” says Hermosilla. “This is not an easy situation for anyone, not even for those who will have to change their model,” she concludes.