MOSCOW, August 30. /TASS/. In Russia, the parents of first-grade boys will be spending 4,500 rubles ($67) less on school supplies than the parents of first-grade girls this year, according to Russia’s Federal Statistics Service (Rosstat).
"On average in Russia, it will cost 18,500.99 rubles ($278) to send a boy back to school, while back-to-school expenses on girls will cost 22,956.27 rubles ($345)," Rosstat says.
According to the report, the most expensive classroom supplies are in the Chukotka Autonomous Region where parents will have to fork out 24,875.00 rubles ($374) on school supplies for a boy, and in the Kamchatka Region, where school supplies for a girl cost 31,737.82 rubles ($477).
On the contrary, the Ingushetia and Altai Regions have the most affordable cost as far as school supplies go. In these regions, parents will shell out only 13,458.64 rubles ($202) to pack off a boy and 15,967.83 rubles ($240) to pack off a girl respectively.
The so-called first-grader set includes school and sports uniforms, writing material and a school bag. The price of school uniform is the only component that makes the back-to-school set for girls more expensive than for boys.
In particular, boy’s school uniforms include: pants (2 pairs), a shirt (3), a cardigan (1), shoes (one pair), boots (one pair). While girls’ uniforms consist of a dress and a sundress, a blouse (3 units), a skirt (2), a cardigan (1), summer shoes (one pair), boots (one pair), tights (3 pairs).
According to Russia's Federal State Statistics Service, this is the first time since 2016, when price hikes for back-to-school expenses for first-graders were lower than the increase in the consumer price index.
"In 2019, the price hike on the set in comparison with July 2018 amounted to 3.2% for a boy and 2% for a girl. The increase in consumer prices over the same period was 4.6%," the report says.