Record High Private Education Spending in 3Q

In the third quarter of the year, monthly spending on private institutions and tutoring reached a record high.

According to the “3Q Household Spending Trend” released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on November 20, families with more than two people and living in cities spent 152,054 won on tutoring, up 11.9 percent, or 135,911 won, from the same period last year.

The figure is the highest ever since the NSO started keeping records of tutoring spending in 2003, which is 32.8 percent, or 114,523 won, higher than that of four years ago.

Total household spending was 2,294,067 won, up 18.2 percent from the thrid quarter in 2003 (1,940,181 won). The growth of total spending is less than the rise in tutoring spending.

Accordingly, the share of tutoring in total spending increased to 6.6 percent in the third quarter of the year, up 0.7 percent from the same quarter in 2003.

Nationwide spending on tutoring also reached 143,098 won, showing the biggest increase of 11.6 percent for the quarter compared with last year. That number is up 32.9 percent compared to 107,684 won in the third quarter of 2003.

jarrett@donga.com