School book prices are high: here are some ways to save money.

Between notebooks, backpacks, diaries, stationery, drawing materials, books, and dictionaries, the total cost for the 2025/2026 school year could exceed €1,300 per student, according to Codacons. According to initial estimates, backpacks, diaries, and pencil cases, as well as stationery (pens, notebooks, markers, pencils, etc.), are seeing price increases this year of between 3% and 5% compared to last year. A designer backpack can cost over €200, while a fully equipped pencil case (with pens, pencils, erasers, and markers) can cost as much as €60. The price of a diary for the 2025/2026 school year can reach nearly €40. Increases are also expected for books, warns Codacons. In fact, in the last month, Istat recorded average increases of +3.8% over 2024 for school textbooks.

According to the National Consumers Union, which estimated the increases for schools based on ISTAT data, a 2.8% increase is expected for school textbooks, higher than the target inflation rate of 1.8% for primary and lower secondary school textbooks, but significantly higher for high school textbooks. This increase rises to 6.7% compared to 2023 and 11.9% compared to 2022, higher than the general inflation rate of 2.9% and 9%. Notebooks and reams of paper appear to be doing better, currently costing 1.5% more than a year ago, the smallest increase among the products monitored. However, this is just a mirage: consumers are still paying the huge price increases of 2022 (+9.8%) and 2023 (+7.5%), which now add up to 20.3% more than in 2021. Pens, pencils, and highlighters are up 6.9% from 2024, a record high compared to a year ago and also compared to 2022 (+16.6%) and 2021 (+24.2%). University housing is up 6% from 2024, the second-worst annual performance and the highest increase compared to 2023, with a 13.6% increase.

Codacons renews its complaint about the phenomenon of high book prices, citing an Antitrust report published in early August, which highlights the lack of competition (with 80% of the market concentrated in the hands of four publishers) and the phenomenon of new editions being adopted by schools (books released with some different pages or images than the previous edition, but at higher prices). According to the association, the rejection of reforms enacted over the years to limit the rise in price lists is also impacting family spending: "The spending limits to which schools must adhere," it explains, "are being exceeded due to the lack of oversight of teachers," while digital books "have proven to be a flop." Added to this are the limitations on large-scale retailers, which can only apply discounts of up to 15% off the list price. The consumer association offers some tips for reducing costs, including: avoiding trends and influencers, which can save up to 40%; Opt for supermarkets over stationery stores, where you can save up to 30% by purchasing so-called "decoy" products, i.e., goods sold below cost to encourage spending. Delaying purchases until later can also save you money, while for more technical items, it's best to wait for instructions from your teachers to avoid unnecessary purchases. Then there's e-commerce: buying books online can be cheaper than in a traditional bookstore, up to 15% off the cover price, even though they're often offered as gift vouchers. Finally, Codacons recommends comparing prices and checking product quality, even when faced with promotional offers and fixed-price kits, especially for backpacks.