A Euronews analysis found that for basic school supplies, people in countries with lower wages, such as Italy and Spain, pay surprisingly more on average than in wealthier European economies.
Among Europe’s five largest economies, Italy and Spain pay the highest prices for basic school supplies despite having lower wages than France, Germany and the UK, according to an analysis by Euronews.
This study covers 20 essential school items (pencils, pens, erasers, highlighters, markers, pencil cases, notebooks, diaries, notepads, scissors, etc.) sold by supermarket chains and specialty school supply stores in the same price range.
The heaviest burden falls on Italian families, who must save around 10.80%, or 202.71 euros, of their monthly income to buy the bare minimum, excluding school books.
The Italian national consumer association Federconsumatori has denounced the fact that the price of essential school items has increased by 6.6% compared to 2023.
The most expensive items are backpacks, pencil cases and diaries.
Who pays the most?
Here’s a ranking of the top five economies when it comes to purchasing basic school supplies – excluding textbooks, meals, school trips and sports equipment:
- Italy: 10.80% on an average monthly salary after taxes (€202.71)
- Spain: 9.24% (€190.32)
- Germany: 7.10% (€185.78)
- UK: 5.65% (£162.68/€193.49)
- France: 4.84% (€140.34)
While the increase in costs in Spain is partly justified by inflation – the fourth highest in the EU in June – the same is not true for Italy, which recorded the lowest inflation in the bloc (0.9%).
Although the price of textbooks varies from school to school, it represents a considerable burden: 591.44 euros on average in Italy and 491.90 euros in Spain, the highest price ever reached, according to the price comparison site Idealo, with an increase of 42.67 euros compared to last year.
Costs are rising in Germany and the UK, while France is doing better
The situation is becoming increasingly worrying in Germany too, where the price of school suppliesincreased by 5 to 13% between 2022 and 2023, according to the National Statistics Office.
In the UK, a basic school kit generally seems more affordable.
However, unlike in other countries, uniforms are compulsory in all UK schools, which comes at an additional cost of around £422 (€500), according to an analysis by Hodge Bank.
France appears to be the most affordable nation among the big five European countries, with essential school supplies weighing less than 5% of an average monthly salary.
Additionally, the Confédération Syndicale des Familles (CSF), a national confederation of family associations, reported an overall decrease of 6.8% in French household school spending in 2024.
The French Ministry of National Education has nevertheless invited schools to limit their requests.
“Schools and institutions should focus on producing reasonable supply lists”says an appeal published in August. “Relieving the financial burden on families at the start of each school year must be a top priority.”
