Nearly half (45%) of parents spend more than 6,000 hryvnias on back-to-school preparations, with the bulk of the expenses going toward clothing and shoes. This is according to the results of a Rakuten Viber survey.
“45% of Ukrainian parents spend more than 6,000 hryvnias on preparing their child for school. One in five respondents (18%) spends 3,000–6,000 hryvnias, while 10% say they don’t buy anything—they already have everything they need from last year,” according to a Rakuten Viber statement received by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday.
Rakuten Viber asked parents how much they spend on preparing their child for school and what takes up the largest portion of their budget.
Responses to the question “How much are you spending on getting your child ready for school this year?” were distributed as follows: Over 6,000 hryvnias – 45%; 3,000–6,000 hryvnias – 18%; 1,000–3,000 hryvnias – 14%; Did not buy anything—we have everything we need from last year—10%; Up to 1,000 UAH—8%; Did not buy anything—everything was given as gifts by relatives or purchased by the school—5%.
Here’s how school expenses were broken down: 58% of respondents spend the most on clothing and footwear: school uniforms, gym clothes, and seasonal items. Another 11% noted that school supplies—from notebooks to backpacks—were their biggest expense.
When asked, “What took up the largest portion of the budget while preparing for school?” the responses were distributed as follows: Clothing and shoes (school uniforms, athletic wear, seasonal items) – 58%; School supplies (from notebooks to backpacks) – 11%; Educational gadgets (laptop, tablet, smartphone, power bank) – 8%; Textbooks and other reading materials – 3%; Setting up a home workspace (desk, chair, desk lamp) – 3%; Expenses were roughly equal across all categories – 17%.
About 10,000 users participated in the survey conducted on Rakuten Viber Ukraine’s official channel. The research methodology consisted of an anonymous online survey. The key age group was 34–45 years old, with over 50% of respondents under the age of 45.
