子育て世帯の教育費負担 : 子ども数・子どもの教育段階・家計所得別の分析

Abstract

Public expenditure on education in Japan is low when compared with the OECD countries. Therefore, families with children are forced to spend a large amount on education. Since 1980, public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP had declined and private expenditure on education increased. This article aims to clarify three points. First, I examined the imbalance in the level of living standards between families with and without children. Second, I estimated the differences of private expenditure on education according to the number of children in the family (1, 2, and 3 or more), level of education (from pre-primary education to tertiary education), and the income level of parents. Third, I analyzed how each family coped with the increased expenditure on education. Findings are as follows. Owing to the high costs of education, there is a great diffrence in the level of living standards between families with and without children. Especially, the burden of educational costs is very heavy in families with 2 or more children, families with tertiary level students, and low-income families. Such families somehow manage the household, but there is a limit to their efforts. The following public policies that support families with children are necessary; increase in public expenditure on education, improve the system of student loans, child allowances, tax allowances for children, and an increase in maternal work opportunities for greater financial independence.