Higher Parental Education Levels Lead to Increased Spending on Private Education for Children
Income Level Also Significantly Affects Private Education Expenses
The higher the educational level of parents, the greater the amount spent on private education for their children.
According to the National Statistical Portal (KOSIS) on the 15th, last year, the average monthly private education expenditure per child for parents who graduated from graduate school was 600,000 to 640,000 KRW, which was up to 3.8 times higher than the 170,000 to 200,000 KRW spent by parents with an education level of middle school graduate or below. This indicates that the higher the parents' educational level, the more is spent on private education for their children.
Mothers who graduated from graduate school spent an average of 646,000 KRW per month on private education per child. Mothers who graduated from university spent 479,000 KRW, and those with a high school diploma spent an average of 318,000 KRW per month on their children's private education. In contrast, mothers with an education level of middle school graduate or below spent 172,000 KRW on average per month.
The same trend was observed for fathers. The average monthly private education expenditure per child by fathers' education level was 615,000 KRW for graduate school graduates, 475,000 KRW for university graduates, 318,000 KRW for high school graduates, and 202,000 KRW for those with middle school education or below. The spending difference between fathers with middle school education or below and those with graduate school education was about threefold.
The gap was more pronounced in general academic private education for college entrance exams such as Korean, English, mathematics, social studies/science, and essay writing than in arts, physical education, or hobby-related private education expenses.
The level of private education expenditure was influenced not only by parents' educational background but also by income level. Last year, households with a monthly average income of 8 million KRW or more spent 671,000 KRW per child per month on private education, about 3.7 times more than households earning less than 3 million KRW, which spent 183,000 KRW. By monthly income level, the amounts were 527,000 KRW for 7 to 8 million KRW, 484,000 KRW for 6 to 7 million KRW, 412,000 KRW for 5 to 6 million KRW, 353,000 KRW for 4 to 5 million KRW, and 279,000 KRW for 3 to 4 million KRW.
The participation rate in private education was also highest among high-income households earning 8 million KRW or more per month at 87.9%, while the lowest was among low-income households earning less than 3 million KRW at 57.2%.
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