Increased school fees for the year 2025 set at a minimum of 16,200 Russian rubles
The average cost of a typical school supply set for the new academic year 2025 has increased by approximately $4 to $7 compared to 2024, according to an estimate based on data from Izvestia and the Check Index analytical center.
This rise is primarily due to ongoing inflation, supply chain challenges, and fewer storewide sales and promotions than in previous years. General price inflation has pushed up costs across many school-related categories, including stationery and school supplies, backpacks, children's apparel, and electronics.
Supply chain issues have also affected the availability and costs of items such as binders and tech accessories, causing price hikes. In fact, the price of a 1-inch binder has increased from $1 in 2024 to $1.50 in 2025.
Retail strategies have also played a role, with fewer broad storewide sales and promotions, reducing shopper opportunities to find deeply discounted prices compared to last year.
The minimum cost for preparing a student for the 2025 academic year is estimated to be 16,200 rubles. The main expenses for the minimum set include a backpack (approximately 4,000 rubles), school uniform (3,100 rubles), shirt (not specified), shoes (not specified), sneakers (not specified), t-shirt (not specified), diary (not specified), set of notebooks (not specified), and a stationery case with supplies (1,100 rubles).
Over 60% of all purchases in the school category were made online. However, the total number of purchases of "school set" items in June-July 2025 decreased by 9% compared to the same period last year.
Analysts suggest that a category of parents make purchases in advance, particularly in the stationery segment where prices rise faster than in other groups. The overall dynamics indicate that families do not strive to save on preparing children for school, with a 7% increase compared to the previous year.
Despite these increases, smart shopping strategies and price tracking apps may help mitigate some of the cost increases for parents and shoppers.
In the context of the rising costs due to inflation, supply chain challenges, and fewer sales, the cost of finance-related items like stationery and school supplies has increased, causing a higher overall expense for education-and-self-development. With prices of items such as binders and tech accessories on the rise, parents may find it beneficial to utilize price tracking apps to help manage these costs while preparing their children for the new academic year.
