Back to school: families plan with an average of 50-75 thousand forints

Enrolling first-year children in school is the most expensive

According to a recent survey by REGIO JÁTÉK, it is clear that enrolling children entering first grade is the biggest financial burden for families. 70 percent of responding parents spend 20-40 thousand forints on purchasing basic equipment – notebooks, pen holders, writing instruments, drawing equipment – while one in six spends more than 40 thousand forints. The cost of a school bag is also significant for this age group: half of the parents choose a price range of under 25,000 forints, and the other half choose a price range of 25-40,000 forints, while an additional 20-30,000 forints are spent on sneakers, gym clothes and other accessories.

“It is therefore not surprising that half of the parents of first-graders expect a total school start cost of 50-75,000 forints, a quarter of them expect a total school start cost of 76-100,000 forints, and according to every seventh respondent, the expenses exceed 100,000 forints”

– emphasizes Dávid Gyaraki, deputy managing director of REGIO JÁTÉK.

School start costs decrease from the upper grades

2nd-4th graders In the case of students in the 1st grade, the financial pressure is significantly lower: half of those surveyed spend 20-30 thousand forints on basic equipment, a fifth of them spend 30-40 thousand forints, and only one in ten families exceeds the 40 thousand forint mark. The total schooling budget for most of them remains under 50 thousand forints, although four out of ten families calculate with 50-75 thousand forints. In the upper grades, expenses are further reduced: basic equipment mostly costs 20-30 thousand forints, and the cost of starting the school year is under 50 thousand forints in two-thirds of cases. In this age group, it is no longer everyday to buy a new school bag, as parents prefer durable, ergonomic pieces.