New Delhi: Parents in Haryana spend the most on their children’s school education annually, followed by those in Manipur, and Punjab, while Bihar records the lowest expenditure among all states, the latest Comprehensive Modular Survey (CMS) on education released by the central government Tuesday said.
The survey, conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) as part of the 80th round of the National Sample Survey, covered 52,085 households—28,401 in rural areas and 23,684 in urban—57,742 students currently enrolled in schools.
According to the findings of the survey, the average annual expenditure per student on school education in rural India was estimated at Rs 8,382 and Rs 23,470 in urban India, for all levels of enrolment and all types of schools during the current academic year.
The report further stated that, on average, parents in India spend Rs 12,616 per child on school education each year, covering expenses such as course fees, transportation, stationery, uniforms, and more. The major chunk of this expenditure is on course fees.
However, the report highlights significant variation in annual school education expenditure across different states and UTs.
Among the states, parents in Haryana spend the most—an average of Rs 25,720 per student—followed by Manipur (Rs 23,502), Punjab (Rs 22,692), Tamil Nadu (Rs 21,526), and Delhi (Rs 19,951).
Among the UTs, which generally have smaller populations, Chandigarh tops the list with parents spending an average of Rs 49,711 per student, followed by Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (Rs 20,678), and Puducherry (Rs 18,194).
On the other hand, states with the lowest average expenditure include Bihar (Rs 5,656), Chhattisgarh (Rs 5,844), Jharkhand (Rs 7,333), and Odisha (Rs 7,479). Among the UTs, Lakshadweep reports the lowest per student spending at just Rs 1,801.
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Highest pvt school expenditure
The survey indicates that parents in Arunachal Pradesh bear the highest average expenditure on private school education, spending Rs 63,197 per student each year. This is followed by Delhi (Rs 46,716), Tamil Nadu (Rs 44,150), and Sikkim (Rs 41,493).
Among the UTs, Chandigarh tops the list with parents annually spending an average of Rs 79,006 per student enrolled in private schools, followed by Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (Rs 56,276) and Puducherry (Rs 45,374).
However, in terms of expenditure on just course fee paid to private school, parents in Haryana are spending the highest—an average of Rs 16,405—followed by Telangana (Rs 14,026), Tamil Nadu (Rs 13,422), and Delhi (Rs 12,672).
Urban-rural & gender gaps
The survey reveals a stark urban-rural divide in how much parents spend on their children’s school education.
On average, rural households spend Rs 8,382 per child each year, while urban households spend nearly three times more—Rs 23,470.
When broken down further, the average course fee in urban areas stands at Rs 15,143, compared to just Rs 3,979 in rural areas. This trend of higher expenditure in urban settings extends to other components such as transportation, uniforms, and textbooks.
The survey also brings attention to a gender divide in education spending. On average, families spend Rs 13,470 on a boy child each year, while the figure drops to Rs 11,666 for a girl child.
This disparity can also be attributed to a common trend where parents are more likely to send boys to private schools—where costs are significantly higher—and girls to government schools, which often provide free or subsidised education.
According to the latest UDISE Plus report, in 2023-24, government school enrollment consisted of 50.95 percent girls and 49.05 percent boys.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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