Parents paying 6.3% more for education, the highest increase since 2020: Stats SA
Fees for high schools recorded the most significant increase in 2024, followed by the cost of sending a toddler to daycare.
It’s the start of the 2024 academic year for hundreds of thousands of pupils across South Africa. Picture: Veronica Makhoali/ Eyewitness News.
JOHANNEBSURG – Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) says parents are paying 6.3% more for their children’s education this year than they did a year ago.
This is the highest since 2020 when the rate increased by 6.4%.
Fees for high schools recorded the most significant increase in 2024, followed by the cost of sending a toddler to daycare.
The fees for primary schools and tertiary institutions came in slightly lower.
Education fees are surveyed by Stats SA once a year in March.
ALSO READ: Consumer price inflation for March softens to 5.3%
Following the release of the latest inflation reading, the chief director for price statistics at Stats SA Patrick Kelly says education is among the biggest movers in March.
“The categories with the highest annual price changes in March were miscellaneous goods and services (up 8,5%), education (up 6,3%), health (up 6,0%) and housing and utilities (up 5,9%).”
The inflation rate dipped to a two-month low in March from 5.6% in February down to 5.3%.
“The rate has held its ground between 5% and 6% since September 2023. The monthly change in the consumer price index (CPI) was 0,8% in March. This is lower than the 1,0% increase in February.”