Getting a first-grader ready for school in the Odesa region costs more than half a month's income

<span><span><span><span><span><span>The cost of the school basket in the Odesa region in 2026 reached 12,923 hryvnias. This amount represents more than 53% of the average monthly salary in the region.</span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>This is according to an analytical report by </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Codes.com.ua</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>. </span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>The cost of preparing a child for school also exceeds half of the average salary in the following regions:</span></span></span></span></span></span>

• <span><span><span><span><span><span>Kirovohrad Oblast — 61.0% of the average salary;</span></span></span></span></span></span>
• <span><span><span><span><span><span>Chernivtsi Oblast — 59.6%;</span></span></span></span></span></span>
• <span><span><span><span><span><span>Ivano-Frankivsk — 54.4%;</span></span></span></span></span></span>
• <span><span><span><span><span><span>Kharkiv Oblast — 52.4%;</span></span></span></span></span></span>
• <span><span><span><span><span><span>Poltava Oblast — 51.8%.</span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>In Kyiv, this figure is only 26.9%, while the average for Ukraine is 42.35%. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The largest expense category is clothing. </span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>To calculate this, analysts used median prices on marketplaces and in retail chains, statistics from the State Statistics Service, and Google search query data.</span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>The calculated cost of the school supply basket is approximate, as it assumes the purchase of a complete set of items from scratch. Parents’ actual expenses may be significantly lower thanks to supplies of school supplies, clothing, and shoes from previous years. At the same time, the total amount does not account for additional expenses on technical equipment or sports gear.</span></span></span></span></span></span>

In Odesa, the number of first-graders has decreased from 10,981 children to 6,502 children over the past four years. The difference between the figures for the 2021–2022 and 2025–2026 school years is 40 percent. 

In the 2026–2027 school year, the number of first-graders in Odesa dropped even further. On September 1, 5,572 students will take their seats attheir desks. 

This year, 5,968 students will enter the tenth grade in Odesa schools. 

Starting in September 2027, the network of specialized high schools is scheduled to be streamlined. The city will retain 39 specialized schools. The Primorsky District will have the most (14), while the Peresypsky District will have the fewest (seven). The Khadzhibeyevsky and Kyiv districts will each retain nine specialized lyceums. Lyceums No. 13 and No. 81 are joining the second phase of the pilot program for the reform of specialized secondary education. 

Overall, Odessa’s education system comprises 280 municipal schools, attended by more than 104,000 children. 

Юлія Калабайда