For families, the return from holidays coincides with the need to face expenses related to the new 2026-2027 school year. The cost of textbooks and all the materials necessary for school seems to grow from year to year, an increase also confirmed by Federconsumatori, which has monitored the costs of school materials this year too, recording an average increase of +2.3% compared to 2025. According to the observatory, overall spending on school supplies this year will amount to around 673.60 euros for each pupil, with the most expensive items being those relating to backpack, especially if you choose the hi-tech version, with integrated power bank, to be able to charge your devices.
How much is spent on books and equipment in the new school year: data from Federconsumatori
As regards textbooks, according to the association, for each student on average 545.66 euros will be spent on compulsory texts plus 2 dictionaries, with a change compared to 2025 of +1.6%. Furthermore, in addition to the costs for equipment and textbooks, it is also necessary to take into account those for any technological devices and related subscriptions, useful and sometimes indispensable tools for teaching, such as PCs, webcams, microphones, antiviruses and basic programs. This is an expense that exceeds 421.00 euros, to which the cost of activating a dedicated internet connection must be added.
The Ministry of Education and Merit has also set for this year the spending ceilings that schools should respect at the time of adoptions, adapting them to the inflation rate scheduled for the year 2026 equal to 1.5%, as published by the Treasury Department of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which constitutes the official reference parameter.
The most onerous moment is entering a new cycle of studies, when the list of texts must be purchased almost in full. According to the findings of Federconsumatori, however those who start secondary school textbooks and two dictionaries cost money 561.61 euros (+1.2% on 2025), which when added to the kit bring the total to 1,235.21 euros. For those who enter secondary schools the supply of books and four dictionaries alone is valid 805.15 euros (slightly decreasing, −0.5%), for a total outlay of 1,478.75 euros. Again according to Federconsumatori, the greatest increases in prices are recorded online (+5.6%) and in stationery bookstores (+2.3%), while large-scale retail trade marks a slight decline (−1.1%). For primary schools the problem does not arise, considering that the costs of primary school books are almost entirely absorbed by the school institution.
The 2026/2027 spending ceilings set by the Ministry
As we were saying, the MIM establishes by decree how much the book supplies approved by the teaching committees can cost at most. For 2026/2027 it did so with two provisions, ministerial decree no. 50, which established the cover prices of primary school textbooks for the 2026/2027 school year, and decree no. 51, which established the spending limits for the book supply of lower and upper secondary schools for the 2026/2027 school year.
As far as middle schools are concerned, the limit is 303 euros for the first year, it drops to 121 euros for the second and 136 for the third. For the secondary schoolthe first year records a ceiling of 346 euros for classical high school and linguistics331 at the scientific and 329 at the technical economic institutes. The decrees also provide discounts linked to the format, with the ceiling being reduced by 10% if all the texts adopted are in mixed version (paper plus additional digital content) and of 30% if they are entirely digital.
Why real costs continue to exceed limits: the causes of high school prices
The fact-finding survey of the Competition and Market Authority, launched in 2024 and closed at the end of 2025, calculated that completing the averages costs on average 580.75 euros of only books and get to the diploma 1,250.43 eurosfueling a market from 800 million euros a year for new ones, to which approximately 150 million used ones are added. A very concentrated market, given that the80% it belongs to just four editorial groups, namely Mondadori, Zanichelli, Sanoma and La Scuola. Not even digital, for now, really saves money. As the survey explains, 95% of the texts adopted are in mixed format, paper + digital, but according to the data only 16% of digital licenses are activated: “The survey also highlighted the opportunity for modular solutions (e.g. via QRCode) to reduce the weight of books, which in Italy is at least double compared to the rest of Europe, and encourage a more rational substitutability of parts of the books”.
