New Year, New Stress for Families as Back-to-School Costs Rocket

Australian parents are faced with paying around $700 for primary and $1,200 for secondary school costs. And that’s just uniforms and equipment.
New Year, New Stress for Families as Back-to-School Costs Rocket
Australian Swimmer Ariarne Titmus talks to students at St Patricks College in Launceston, Australia, on Sept. 15, 2021. Steve Bell/Getty Images for TLA
Rex Widerstrom
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With a return to school on the horizon, Australian families face considerable costs associated with equipping their children with uniforms and equipment, and a new survey shows around a third are struggling to afford it.

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) estimates that 5.1 million people will spend an average of $525 (US$323) each on back-to-school merchandise, up from an average of $512 in 2024. This will net retailers around $2.7 billion in sales, up $150 million (5.9 percent) over last year, driven by population growth and inflation.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.