Who pays the most for school supplies?

It’s back to school time for kids all over Europe and the dreaded shop for school supplies for their parents. But how expensive is it?

Research just published shows that some European countries are having to fork out way above the odds for pencils, rubbers, protractors and the like, and they are not the countries one would naturally expect.

Prices soaring despite inflation figures

Italy and Spain add up to the most expensive when it comes to school stationery and other supplies at supermarkets when compared to other European nations. The Italians spend the most on their kids’ school materials who need to pay an average of over 10% of their family income this month. Federconsumatori, the most important Italian consumer agency, complains this year that priced have been hiked even further than last year, up 6.6%.

Comparing outlay on school supplies with the average monthly income of a family, who is stung the most in Europe when it comes to backpacks, uniforms, stationery, and all the other educational paraphernalia normally associated with this time of year? Excluding textbooks, school trips and meals, Italy at 10.8%, followed by Spain at 9.24%, then Germany at 7.1%, the UK at 5.65% and France at 4.845.

Inflation can’t be to blame considering Spain’s inflation rate which this year had the 4th highest in Europe, while Italy’s had the second lowest. While France fared reasonably well compared to others on the list, the French government has requested that schools reduce the amount they demand parents to pay out for.