Greek parents brace for back-to-school spending season

The return to the classroom is approaching, and with it the usual budget exercise for Greek families, who must buy everything their children need for the new school year.

Footfall in bookshops and stores selling school supplies has already started to pick up, with parents looking for exercise books, stationery, art materials and all the other equipment pupils will need.

Prices for basic products are, by and large, close to last year's levels. The final cost, however, can differ significantly depending on the pupil's year group, the school's list, the quality of the products and whether parents opt for branded or more economical items.

According to a market survey by Ertnews Radio 105.8, the cost of basic school supplies for a child in the first years of primary school is estimated at around €100 to €120 this year. This does not include the school bag, lunch box, food container or water bottle.

From €15 to €100 for a school bag

The gap between the cheapest and the most expensive options remains wide.

A school bag can start at around €15, while more expensive or branded models can cost as much as €100.

A classic blue 50-page exercise book starts at around €0.49, while a maths notebook costs between €1.59 and €2.50. Writing notebooks range from roughly €0.80 to €2.

The spread is even wider for two-subject spiral notebooks, which can cost between €1 and €8.

In art supplies, a pad of watercolour paper starts at about €2.25 and can go up to €15, with the average price around €3.50. A set of 12 felt-tip pens, as well as a set of brushes, starts at around €2.50, while the more expensive options can reach €10.

What parents paid in 2025

The comparison with prices recorded a year earlier is also revealing. In September 2025, the Greek Workers' Consumers Association (EEKE) published specific prices for a series of basic school products, following a sample survey of supermarket chains.

In 2025, a 17x24cm two-subject spiral notebook cost €1.64, while an A4 two-subject spiral notebook cost €2.55. A set of 12 fine washable felt-tip pens cost €1.99, and another set of 12 felt-tip pens cost €1.89. A pack of five pencils cost €1.49, four pens cost €1.29, and a compass with a pencil cost €1.49. A set of sharpener and eraser cost €0.99, a 20-centimetre ruler cost €0.36, and a pack of 12 coloured pencils cost €2.85.

These figures are not fully comparable with every product on the shelves this year, as the brand, packaging, dimensions or point of sale may differ. They do, however, give a picture of the level at which basic school supplies were priced in 2025.

It is also worth noting that on 28 August 2025, the Ministry of Development announced, after a meeting with the Hellenic Supermarkets Association, that companies had pledged to keep the prices of school supplies at their 2024 levels.

The ministry's official announcement did not, however, include detailed prices for each product code.

A year on, the picture suggests that in many categories the lowest prices remain at relatively affordable levels. The wide gap between budget and more expensive options, though, means the final bill can easily climb.

For a family with two or more school-age children, even small differences in the price of each item add up, turning preparations for the first day of school into a significant expense for the household budget.