Parents under pressure as education costs force families to rethink finances and family size

The rising cost of educating children in Australia is forcing families to tighten budgets, work longer hours and rethink decisions about having more children, new research shows.

For a child starting school in 2026, families in major cities can expect to spend an average of $113,594 for a government education over 13 years, rising to $247,174 for Catholic schooling and $369,594 for independent schools. In regional and remote areas, costs average $100,395 for government schools, $223,874 for Catholic education and $230,144 for independent schools.

The research, conducted by school finance group Futurity, found Melbourne recorded the highest government school costs among capital cities, while regional and remote Queensland families faced the highest education bills outside metropolitan areas.

School fees made up a relatively small portion of overall costs, with most spending going towards extras such as uniforms, tutoring, transport, camps and digital devices.

Despite nine in 10 parents saying education is essential for their child's future, many families are cutting back by buying second-hand uniforms, delaying laptop upgrades and reducing spending on extracurricular activities. One-third of parents said they had turned to credit or debt, while more than half relied on financial support from others, including grandparents.

Futurity's Sarah McAdie said 45 per cent of parents were now considering having fewer children due to the cost of raising and educating a child.

The Australian Council of State School Organisations warned families were scaling back participation in sport and school activities as budgets tightened, raising concerns about whether all students could fully participate without financial barriers.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 63 per cent of Australian students attend government schools, with the remainder split between Catholic and independent education.