Advent Calendar Statistics 2026: 52 Facts on Buyers, Prices and Trends

Advent calendars used to be a paper card with 24 pictures. Today they are big business.

Chocolate ones cost a few pounds. Beauty boxes cost hundreds. TV shows, wreaths and even town halls count down to Christmas.

This page collects the most reliable numbers: who buys calendars, what is inside, what they cost and where the tradition began. Most data comes from the UK and Germany. Every figure links to its source. For the rest of the season, see our UK Christmas facts and figures. For the long history, the Wikipedia article on advent calendars is a good overview.

How many people buy advent calendars

1. Almost three in four Britons buy advent calendars

In an Ipsos survey from September 2025, 72% of adults in Great Britain said they buy advent calendars. Women (75%) do so slightly more often than men (69%), and among 18 to 34 year olds the figure rises to 81%.¹

2. One in three Britons buys one for themselves every year

According to YouGov, 33% of British adults buy an advent calendar for themselves every year, and 22% buy advent calendars as gifts every year.⁴

3. Half of Britons were not planning to buy one in 2023

Asked in November 2023, 19% of Britons said they would buy an advent calendar for themselves and 38% for family or friends. 50% were not considering buying one at all.⁵ How the question is asked matters: "do you buy advent calendars" produces far higher shares than "will you buy one this year".

4. Half of UK adults expected to receive one in 2019

Back in 2019, 49% of adults in the UK expected to receive an advent calendar, and 29% had already treated themselves to one.⁶

5. In Germany, 54% plan to buy a ready-made calendar

A YouGov survey of 2,023 people in Germany in October 2025 found that 54% planned to buy a ready-made advent calendar that year, while 42% intended to skip it entirely.⁷

6. Germans bought about 26 million chocolate calendars in 2024

YouGov's shopper panel puts the number of chocolate advent calendars bought in Germany in 2024 at about 26 million, 5% more than in 2023.² That count covers chocolate calendars only.

7. 18% of people in Germany bought a chocolate calendar

In 2024, 18% of people in Germany bought at least one chocolate advent calendar. Compared with 2020, the number of buyers grew by 1.8 million.²

Who the calendars are for

8. Adults buy for children, for themselves and for their partner

British buyers say they buy advent calendars for children (53%), for themselves (51%) and for their partner (40%).¹ Not every present lands as well, as our statistics on unwanted Christmas gifts show.

9. In Germany, the most common recipient is the buyer

Half of German advent calendar buyers (50%) give one to themselves. That is more than buy for children (46%) or for a partner (39%).⁷

10. Households without children buy almost half of all chocolate calendars

Older households without children accounted for 48% of chocolate advent calendar buyers in Germany in 2024. Families with small children made up only 5%.²

11. Millennials are the keenest buyers in Germany

Millennials are the most likely generation in Germany to buy an advent calendar (63%), and 40% of Gen Z plan to buy one for themselves.²

12. Women look forward to the doors more than men

In 2019, 33% of British women said they looked forward to opening their advent calendar, compared with 19% of men.⁶

What is inside: chocolate, beauty and more

13. Chocolate is the clear favourite in the UK

Chocolate is the preferred advent calendar type for 84% of UK buyers. Beauty follows with 15%, toys with 14% and other food with 10%.¹

14. In Germany, 60% prefer sweets

In Germany, 60% prefer calendars filled with sweets or chocolate, 20% beauty and cosmetics, 16% drinks and 15% other food and delicacies. Only 11% prefer a traditional picture calendar.⁷

15. Beauty calendars split by gender

In the German survey, 30% of women prefer beauty and cosmetics calendars, compared with 9% of men.⁷

16. 40% of young buyers have bought a beauty calendar

Among UK advent calendar buyers aged 18 to 34, 40% buy beauty calendars.¹

17. 17% of UK adults are likely to buy a beauty calendar

In September 2025, 17% of UK adults said they were likely to buy a beauty advent calendar that year, 5% very likely.⁸

18. Young adults are four times as likely to buy beauty calendars

42% of 18 to 24 year olds in Britain said they were likely to buy a beauty advent calendar, against 11% of people over 55. Women (23%) were almost twice as likely as men (12%).⁸

19. Beauty and alcohol calendars were already a niche in 2019

In 2019, 13% of British adults had bought a beauty advent calendar and 6% one filled with alcohol.⁶

20. Gin calendar sales rose 31% in a year

Clearpay saw a 31% rise in sales of gin advent calendars in the run-up to Christmas 2023 compared with 2022. Sales of calendars aimed at women jumped by 240%.⁹

How much people spend

21. Most UK buyers spend £10 or less

55% of UK buyers plan to spend £10 or less on an advent calendar. At the other end, 8% spend more than £100.¹

22. Young adults spend the most on themselves

Among 18 to 34 year olds who buy an advent calendar for themselves, 28% spent more than £100 on it.¹

23. Nearly half would spend £5 or less

In 2023, 48% of UK advent calendar shoppers said they would spend £5 or less, and 35% between £5 and £20.⁵

24. Beauty calendar buyers have bigger budgets

Among people likely to buy a beauty advent calendar, 16% would spend £200 or more, while 53% would stay under £100. 64% name price or discounts as their top consideration.⁸

25. Chocolate calendars in Germany cost 18% more than in 2020

The average price paid for a chocolate advent calendar in Germany rose from €6.09 in 2020 to €7.18 in 2024, an increase of about 18%.²

26. Spending per buyer grew by about a fifth

Spending per buyer on chocolate advent calendars in Germany rose by about 21% between 2020 and 2024.⁷

27. 85% of Germans would spend at most €50

85% of people in Germany want to spend no more than €50 on a ready-made calendar. One in ten would spend more, and among Gen Z and Millennials that share rises to 16%.²

28. For 42%, the calendar is an extra purchase

42% of Britons see advent calendars as an additional purchase on top of their regular Christmas spending.¹ For the size of that regular budget, see how much Britons spend on Christmas.

Where, when and why people buy

29. Two in three UK buyers shop at the supermarket

68% of UK advent calendar buyers get them from grocery stores, and 23% shop online. Among 18 to 24 year olds, 30% buy online.⁴

30. In Germany, supermarkets and discounters lead

Supermarkets and discounters account for 39% of chocolate advent calendar purchases in Germany, online shops for 20%.⁷

31. Most people buy by late November

56% of UK buyers have their advent calendar by mid to late November, while 18% wait until early December.⁴

32. Marks & Spencer and Boots lead for beauty calendars

Among likely buyers of beauty advent calendars, Marks & Spencer (45%) and Boots (43%) are the retailers most often considered.⁸

33. The main reason to buy is the daily ritual

The top reasons British buyers give are creating a fun daily activity (47%), celebrating the holiday season (44%) and family tradition (40%).⁴

The beauty calendar boom

34. £13.9 million in a single week of August

UK sales of prestige beauty advent calendars passed £13.9 million in the week of 25 to 31 August 2025. That was more than double the same week a year earlier, according to Circana data.¹⁰ Beauty calendars now go on sale months before Advent begins.

35. Sales value up 276% in one November week

In week 47 (17 to 23 November), Circana measured a 276% year on year rise in the value of UK beauty advent calendar sales, while unit volume rose by 92%.¹⁰ Value growing far faster than volume points to more expensive calendars, not just more of them.

36. A sell-out in two and a half weeks

Space NK's 2025 beauty advent calendar sold out in two and a half weeks, and sign-ups for its waiting list rose by 60% compared with 2024.¹¹

Advent calendar history in numbers

37. Chalk marks and candles came first

Before printed calendars existed, Protestant families in 19th century Germany counted down to Christmas with chalk marks on the door or by lighting candles.¹²

38. The advent wreath dates from 1839

Johann Hinrich Wichern, then 31, lit the first advent wreath in 1839 at the Rauhes Haus, a home for children he ran near Hamburg. It was a wooden wheel with candles, one for each day.¹³

39. The first printed calendar came from Germany in the early 1900s

The German printer Gerhard Lang is credited with producing the first printed advent calendar in the early 1900s: 24 coloured pictures on cardboard. Little doors came later.¹²

40. Chocolate arrived as early as 1926

According to historian Martin Johnes, commercial advent calendars appeared in Germany before the First World War, and a producer added chocolates in 1926.¹⁴

41. Cadbury waited until 1971

Cadbury did not sell its first chocolate advent calendar until 1971, and only made them continuously from 1993.¹⁴

42. A 1953 photo made them popular in the USA

A photo published by Newsweek in December 1953, showing President Eisenhower's grandson with an advent calendar, is widely credited with making the calendars popular in the United States.¹⁵

43. Denmark's first calendar with doors: 1932

The first printed Danish advent calendar with doors dates from 1932. An early Danish form was the parcel calendar with 24 small gifts such as pencils and erasers.¹⁶

44. Companies handed out calendars in the 1960s and 70s

In Denmark, advent calendars were sometimes given away free by weekly magazines and companies in the 1960s and 1970s, an early form of the branded calendar.¹⁶

45. TV advent calendars: Sweden 1960, Denmark 1962

Sweden's public broadcaster SVT started its Christmas calendar series in 1960.¹⁷

46. Denmark followed two years later

The first Danish TV julekalender aired on DR in 1962, when it was still the only channel.¹⁶

47. 1.4 million viewers per episode

TV 2's Danish Christmas calendar Alletiders Jul (1994) averaged 1,383,000 viewers per episode, in a country of about five million people.¹⁸

48. The calendar candle is still lit every day

The calendar candle, with one section burned down each day until Christmas, is still a living custom in Danish homes, according to the National Museum of Denmark.¹⁶

Records and curiosities

49. The largest advent calendar measured 71 by 23 metres

The Guinness record for the largest advent calendar goes to one built at St Pancras station in London in December 2007. It measured about 71 by 23 metres.¹⁹

50. The most valuable one was worth €2.5 million

The most valuable advent calendar on record was valued at €2.5 million on 30 November 2010. It held 124 diamonds in 24 glass tubes and was made by Octagon Blue GVC in Belgium.³

51. A $50,000 calendar from Harrods

In 2007, Harrods sold a tree shaped advent calendar in burr elm and walnut for $50,000, filled with organic chocolate. The proceeds went to cocoa farmers.¹²

52. A town hall with 24 windows

Every Advent, the town hall of Gengenbach in the Black Forest becomes what the town calls the world's largest advent calendar house. One of its 24 windows is opened each evening at 6 pm.²⁰

What the numbers mean for businesses

Three findings stand out for anyone who uses Advent for marketing or internal communication. First, adults are now the main audience: in both countries, buyers get calendars for themselves about as often as for children. Second, the daily ritual is the reason to buy, more than the contents. Third, the calendar is an extra on top of the Christmas budget for many people, which leaves room for a small daily surprise from a brand or an employer. What staff expect from their employer in December is covered in our workplace Christmas statistics.

A digital advent calendar uses exactly that ritual without printing or postage: 24 doors with quizzes, coupons, videos or giveaways, sent as a link. See how it works for customers, as a marketing campaign or for employees.

My take

Frequently asked questions

How many people buy advent calendars?

In Great Britain, 72% of adults say they buy advent calendars (Ipsos, 2025). In Germany, 54% planned to buy a ready-made calendar in 2025 (YouGov).

What is the most popular type of advent calendar?

Chocolate. 84% of UK buyers prefer chocolate calendars, and in Germany 60% prefer calendars with sweets or chocolate. Beauty calendars come second in both countries.

How much do people spend on an advent calendar?

Most spend little: 55% of UK buyers plan to spend £10 or less. In Germany, the average chocolate calendar cost €7.18 in 2024. At the top end, 8% of UK buyers spend more than £100.

Who invented the advent calendar?

The German printer Gerhard Lang is credited with the first printed advent calendar in the early 1900s. Chalk marks and candles were used to count down the days before that.

What is the most expensive advent calendar ever?

Guinness World Records lists a calendar valued at €2.5 million in 2010, with 124 diamonds in 24 glass tubes.

Where can I use these statistics?

You are welcome to quote them in articles, reports and presentations. Please link to this page as the source.

Sources

1. 1Ipsos UK, Advent calendar survey 2025 (ipsos.com)
2. 2YouGov Deutschland, Shopper panel on advent calendars 2020 to 2024 (yougov.com)
3. 3Guinness World Records, Most valuable advent calendar (guinnessworldrecords.com)
4. 4YouGov UK, Advent calendar purchasing 2024 (yougov.com)
5. 5YouGov UK, Advent calendar spending 2023 (yougov.com)
6. 6YouGov UK, Adults and advent calendars 2019 (yougov.com)
7. 7YouGov Deutschland, Adventskalender survey 2025 (yougov.com)
8. 8YouGov UK, Beauty advent calendars 2025 (yougov.com)
9. 9LBC, citing Clearpay sales data (2024) (lbc.co.uk)
10. 10Cosmetics Business, citing Circana retail tracking (cosmeticsbusiness.com)
11. 11Cosmetics Business, Space NK advent calendar (cosmeticsbusiness.com)
12. 12Mental Floss, A brief history of advent calendars (mentalfloss.com)
13. 13evangelisch.de, The advent wreath was invented outside Hamburg (evangelisch.de)
14. 14Martin Johnes, historian of the British Christmas (martinjohnes.com)
15. 15Wikipedia, Advent calendar (citing Newsweek, December 1953) (en.wikipedia.org)
16. 16National Museum of Denmark, Frilandsmuseet teaching material 2020 (natmus.dk)
17. 17Wikipedia, Sveriges Television's Christmas calendar (en.wikipedia.org)
18. 18Danish Wikipedia, Alletiders Jul (citing Nielsen and TV 2 ratings) (da.wikipedia.org)
19. 19Guinness World Records, Largest advent calendar (guinnessworldrecords.com)
20. 20Black Forest Tourism, Gengenbach advent calendar house (schwarzwald-tourismus.info)