Household spending on private education among families with children has declined for the first time since the COVID‑19 pandemic, a shift attributed to weakened consumer sentiment.

According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics on Sunday, households with unmarried children spent an average of 413-thousand won, or about 280 dollars, per month on private education in the third quarter of this year, down zero-point-seven percent from a year earlier.

It was the first year‑on‑year decline since the fourth quarter of 2020, ending a run of 18 consecutive quarterly increases that followed a drop in spending throughout 2020.

Private education costs include spending not only for elementary, middle and high school students, but also for infants, preschoolers and repeat test‑takers, making the figure a key indicator of the financial burden on households.

The decline varied significantly by income group. Households earning seven million won or more per month saw spending fall two-point-nine percent, while those earning between three and four million won recorded a far steeper drop of 21.3 percent.