Mahmoud Fawzy, a government agency employee with three children, told Ahram Online that the prices of school supplies are higher this year.

He cited, for example, the price of a 60-sheet notebook, which he said had jumped by 75 percent this year reaching EGP 35, compared to EGP 20 last year.

An 80-sheet notebook, on the other hand, rose by 15 percent reaching EGP 46, compared with EGP 40 last year, according to Fawzy.

Furthermore, he cited the example of the price of a fountain pen, which he said has soared by 100 percent to reach EGP 6, up from EGP 3 last year.

Fawzy went on to say that such an increase in prices led him to purchase limited quantities of the required school supplies for his children.

Households spending on back-to-school
 

According to CAPMAS, Egyptian households spend annually 36.8 percent of their income on school fees and expenses. This is broken down as follows: 28.3 percent on private tutoring and supplementary classes, 11.8 percent on purchasing books and school supplies, 9.6 percent on transportation to and from school, 7.2 percent on school uniforms and bags, and 4.4 percent on other educational expenses.

Prices of school supplies increased by approximately 10 percent to 15 percent for the back-to-school season this year compared to last year.

Salwa Magdy, an engineer at a private company with three children, noticed a significant increase in the prices for each item.

“For instance, some pencils now cost up to EGP 40, compared to EGP 15 last year. Lunch boxes start at EGP 150 and pencil cases start at EGP 20,” Magdy told Ahram Online.

“This hike led me to search for the cheapest places to buy school supplies from, especially through bookstore sales and visiting state-organized, discount school supplies fairs such as Ahlan Madares (Welcome Schools), she explained.

The Egyptian government organizes fairs that offer affordable school supplies ahead of every back-to-school season.

Karem Azmy, a bank accountant and father of two children in a private school, explained to Ahram Online that the demands for school supplies and specific brands constitute an annual burden to families.

"I save part of my monthly income, sacrificing other household expenses, to cover educational costs, including tuition fees and supplies," he said.

Salem Khairy, the owner of a small bookstore, told Ahram Online that prices of goods have risen due to the rise in production costs, which, in turn, impact purchasing powers.

“I have noticed that the cheaper school supplies are selling more, regardless of their quality,” he said.

Government efforts
 

Global and regional tensions and devaluation of the local currency have contributed to higher prices of commodities, with inflation hovering around 25 percent.

In February, in line with the directives of Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the government raised the wages of state employees by 50 percent to alleviate the impact of the high prices on households.

The government also raised the minimum wage for the private sector to EGP 6,000 and pensions by 15 percent.

Fathi El-Sayed Youssef, an economics lecturer at the Faculty of Commerce at Benha University and a member of the Political Economy Association, explained to Ahram Online that the government has already started taking measures to combat high prices through restrictive monetary policies led by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE).

“These policies, including raising interest rates, aim to reduce inflation by withdrawing liquidity from the market. One of the tools used is open market operations, which involve reducing cash flow in the markets,” Youssef explained.

Community-based initiatives
 

Youssef also highlighted the role of community initiatives in supporting Egyptian households amid high prices. 

“Community-based initiatives are vital tools in combating inflation, for example, the Ahlan Madares discount fairs (1 September-1 October) offer goods at discounted prices of up to 40 percent,” he said.

“These discount fairs play a significant role in supporting families and individuals by providing school supplies at prices below market rates, thereby easing the financial burden, especially on low-income families,” Youssef explained.

He also noted that spreading of these exhibitions across the country is crucial, given that the number of pre-university students is estimated to be around 30 million this year.

In addition, Youssef pointed out that spreading these initiatives all over Egypt ensures they reach poorer provinces or those with many students.

He highlighted that a presidential mandate has been given to the Ministry of Finance and the government to provide necessary support for the success of these initiatives.

In conclusion, Youssef noted that the current FY2024/2025 budget witnesses a 15 to 17 percent increase in social spending to mitigate the impact of the high prices on Egyptian citizens.