A stunning 39% of parents say they can’t afford back-to-school shopping this year. 44% of parents plan to take on debt during back-to-school shopping. More than 50% of parents plan to sacrifice necessities like groceries to ensure their child has what they need for school.

Surveys indicate that around one-third to 39% of parents report difficulty affording back-to-school shopping, about one-third plan to take on debt, and approximately half intend to sacrifice necessities like groceries to cover school expenses.

At a glance

Key Evidence

Verified July 21, 2025

Recent surveys from Bankrate and Fox report about one-third of parents taking on debt for back-to-school shopping (31-33%), while Intuit Credit Karma and Yahoo News indicate around half of parents plan to sacrifice necessities like groceries. Affordability challenges are reported by roughly one-third to just under 40% of parents depending on the source.

The reporting

What the Evidence Shows

The input breaks down into three main factual assertions: first, that 39% of parents say they cannot afford back-to-school shopping; second, that 44% plan to take on debt for these expenses; and third, that more than 50% plan to sacrifice necessities such as groceries. Multiple recent surveys from reputable sources provide data closely aligned with these figures but with some variation. For example, a Yahoo News report cites about one-third (approximately 33%) of parents unable to afford back-to-school shopping, which is slightly lower than the stated 39% but within a reasonable margin given different survey methodologies.yahoo.com

Regarding debt, Bankrate and Fox sources report about 31-33% of parents taking on debt for back-to-school shopping, which is somewhat lower than the claimed 44%.livenowfox.com bankrate.com The claim that over 50% of parents plan to sacrifice necessities like groceries is supported by multiple sources including Intuit Credit Karma and Fox Business, which report about half of parents making such sacrifices.creditkarma.com

These differences likely reflect variations in survey timing, sample populations, and question phrasing. Overall, the input's figures are broadly consistent with recent data trends showing significant financial strain among parents during back-to-school shopping but somewhat overstate the debt percentage compared to the most cited surveys. The claim does not imply causation beyond reporting survey results and does not contain logical fallacies.

The data is time-sensitive and reflects conditions in mid-2024.

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