A few days before the start of the school year on September 15, estimates of the cost borne by Tunisian families vary widely. The ODC mentions in 2026 a minimum of 300 DT at primary and 500 DT at high school.
In August 2025, the OTOC recalled, for its part, an estimate of 600 to 700 DT for a primary school pupil for the previous year’s intake. These figures do not measure the same basket.
TN therefore distinguishes regulated expenses, prices actually observed in stores, and items whose cost depends on each family’s choices.
300 DT, 500 DT, 700 DT: why do the figures differ so much?
On September 9, Lotfi Khaldi, vice-president of the Tunisian Consumer Defense Organization (ODC), estimated that the start of the school year represented at least 300 DT for a primary student and about 500 DT for a high-school student.
According to this same estimate, primary school supplies alone would represent between 120 and 250 DT, before adding notably the backpack, textbooks and the blouse.
It is important to distinguish this organization from the Tunisian Organization for Consumer Orientation (OTOC), chaired by Lotfi Riahi. On September 3, 2026, during an interview on National Radio, Lotfi Riahi estimated that prices of supplies had increased by 7 to 8% over a year.
Another statement by the same official explains part of the confusion around the amounts. On August 12, 2025, approaching the 2025-2026 intake, Lotfi Riahi indicated that the average cost borne by a primary school pupil at the previous start was between 600 and 700 DT, according to his organization.
Thus these figures should not be read as a drop from 700 to 300 DT in two years. The periods, scopes, and products included are not identical.
| Source | Declaration date | Amount | Takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|
| ODC – Lotfi Khaldi | September 9, 2026 | 300 DT primary / 500 DT high school | 2026 estimate; primary supplies estimated between 120 and 250 DT. |
| OTOC – Lotfi Riahi | August 12, 2025 | 600 to 700 DT at primary | Estimate presented as that for the previous intake; basket not published item by item. |
| INC + Price Observatory | 2023 | 121 DT in 1st year / 188 DT in 7th / 226 DT in science baccalaureate | Surveyed in bookstores and major retailers in Tunis, including backpack and apron. |
The latest public study found that explicitly constructed basket at each level is the 2023 study by the National Institute of Consumption (INC) and the National Observatory of Supply and Prices. Its amounts cannot obviously be used as 2026 prices, but its method illustrates the issue: a start-of-year cost is only comparable if the contents of the basket remain identical.
What Parents Really See in Stores in 2026
Beyond associative estimates, a survey published this week by the TAP agency provides a concrete snapshot of prices displayed in a shop in Tunis. This is not a national average, and these prices cannot be generalized to the entire market.
Prices observed in a shop in Tunis
Classic backpacks: between 71 and 120 DT for some observed models.
Backpacks with wheels or equipped: over 200 DT, with some models up to 355 DT.
Pencil cases: between 24,900 and 28,800 DT for the referenced items.
Water bottles and lunch boxes: between 16,350 and 37,500 DT depending on the models.
These few products show why the budget can quickly change from one family to another. A backpack at 71 DT and a model at 355 DT perform the same function, but alone create a 284 DT difference on the bill.
Textbooks: a bill that can be calculated
Official school textbooks are one of the most transparent line items. The lists are published by the Ministry of Education, and the books are distributed by the National Pedagogical Center (CNP).
The amounts below correspond to TN calculations based on the official 2026-2027 lists and the CNP price grid.
| Level | Total textbooks |
|---|---|
| 1st year primary | 9,600 DT |
| 2nd year primary | 13,600 DT |
| 3rd year primary | 25,800 DT |
| 4th year primary | 28,100 DT |
| 5th year primary | 29,600 DT |
| 6th year primary | 35,500 DT |
| 7th year | 34,800 DT |
| 8th year | 45,600 DT |
| 9th year | 40,100 DT |
| 1st year secondary | 50,900 DT |
The total of 40,100 DT in 9th year, lower than that of the 8th year, is not necessarily an anomaly: the number of titles and especially the unit price of textbooks differ from one level to another.
Subsidized notebooks: four official prices
For subsidized notebooks, the public selling price is set by the Ministry of Commerce. The rates remain particularly low compared to commercial notebooks.
| Subsidized notebook | Official price |
|---|---|
| No.12 | 0,230 DT |
| No.24 | 0,430 DT |
| No.48 | 0,950 DT |
| No.72 | 1,400 DT |
For 2026-2027, manufacturers anticipate producing about 20 to 22 million subsidized notebooks. The annual cost of the subsidy was estimated by the Professional Chamber of Manufacturers at between 10 and 11 million dinars.
What you can clearly quantify at primary level
TN cross-referenced three elements whose price is fixed or calculable: official textbooks, enrollment fees in public schools, and subsidized numbered notebooks listed on the ministry’s official list.
The purpose of this calculation is precisely to show where the difference lies. In 1st year of primary, 16,790 DT only can be quantified from regulated or official prices within this parameter. The overall bill of several hundred dinars therefore mainly comes from products with free prices and peripheral expenses.
4 DT Enrollment at Primary, 8,600 DT at Middle and High School
In public institutions, the fees are set by Government Decree No. 2019-898 of October 16, 2019, which amended Decree No. 2010-1928.
The text sets the enrollment fee at 4 DT for primary schools and 8,600 DT for enrollment, insurance and library fees in middle schools, high schools, and pilot high schools.
Transport can completely change the budget
The “real cost” becomes much more difficult to compare once you move beyond the equipment basket. A child who walks to school, another who uses public transportation, and a third who daily uses private school transport do not have the same annual expense.
The government also announced, during the restricted Ministerial Council on August 14, 2026, an additional package of 67 million dinars for social aid related to the 2026-2027 school and university year, for poor and low-income families. The program includes financial and in-kind assistance as well as free transport for the eligible students.
More than 60,000 items seized before the start of the year
Another operation announced on September 10 had already reported 54,000 non-conforming supplies seized, including 1,255 fruit- and vegetable-shaped novelty erasers and 2,576 tubes of glue containing toxic organic solvents.
Cheap products: alert from the Health Ministry
The National Agency for Risk Assessment (ANER), part of the Ministry of Health, urged parents to verify the origin and conformity of supplies, especially when they may contain chemical substances.
To check before buying
ANER recommends prioritizing organized sales channels and products carrying clear information on their use and precautions.
The agency also warns against certain erasers or supplies imitating food and against products likely to be put in the mouth by children.
It also recommends that a filled backpack should not exceed about 10% of the child’s weight.
So, how much should be planned?
For a parent, the most useful answer is to split the bill into two parts.
The first part is relatively predictable: textbooks, subsidized notebooks, and enrollment fees. At primary level, the calculable base presented by TN ranges from about 16,790 DT in the 1st year to 48,210 DT in the 6th year, before the special notebooks.
The second part really drives up or restrains the budget: backpack, blouse, pencil case, pens, coloring, geometry, binder covers, water bottle, clothing, shoes and transport.
That is why the ODC’s estimate of 300 DT minimum for primary and 500 DT for high school can serve as a rough guide for 2026, but not a universal price applicable to all families.
Reusing a backpack, a pencil case, a compass or a ruler that is still in good condition can reduce the bill by several tens of dinars. Conversely, choosing a single high-end backpack can add more than 300 DT.
