Christmas Spending Statistics 2026: 50 UK Facts on Budgets, Gifts and Debt

Christmas is the most expensive time of the year for many British households. Gifts, food and parties all add up.

Budgets are rising slowly, but trust in the high street is shaky and more people borrow to cover the bill. The official retail sales figures from the ONS show what the shops really took.

This page collects the most reliable UK numbers on spending, shopping habits, Black Friday, gift cards and Christmas debt. Every figure links to its source. It is one chapter of our Christmas in numbers for the UK.

How much Britain spends on Christmas

1. A £24.6bn Christmas in 2025

PwC forecast that UK consumers would spend £24.6bn over the Christmas 2025 period, up 3.5% on the £23.7bn of 2024.¹

2. £461 per adult

The same PwC survey puts average planned spending at £461 per adult, up from £449 a year earlier.¹

3. The typical festive budget is about £550

In a YouGov survey of 4,243 Britons in November 2025, the median expected festive spend across five spending categories was £550.⁴

4. Gift spending rose from £357 to £374

Mintel found that average Christmas gift spending in the UK rose from £357 to £374 in 2025, as people were determined to have a better Christmas than the year before.⁵ Smaller seasonal extras come on top, as our advent calendar statistics show.

5. Regional estimates range from £566 to £1,019

In a Censuswide survey of 2,000 people in September 2025, the highest estimated Christmas spend was in Scotland (£1,019), the lowest in the East Midlands (£566). Northern Ireland came in at £961.⁶

6. One in three finds the cost worrying

In YouGov's November 2025 survey, 33% of Britons said they are typically worried about the impact of Christmas on their personal finances. Among households with an income under £30,000, the figure was 42%.⁴

7. Only 44% feel they can afford a joyful Christmas

In Deloitte's 2025 survey, 44% of UK consumers agreed that they have enough money to create a joyful Christmas for themselves and their family.⁷

Who spends more and who cuts back

8. 30% planned to spend more in 2025

Deloitte found that 30% of UK consumers planned to spend more than the year before. Across the European countries surveyed, the figure was 23%.⁷

9. 18% planned to spend less

Of UK consumers, 18% planned to spend less. Among them, 48% blamed the cost of living and 37% a worse financial situation.⁷

10. Higher prices drive much of the extra spending

Of those spending more, 33% said higher prices were the reason, 23% said it was a deliberate choice to give Christmas more budget and 20% said their finances had improved.⁷

11. Younger adults spend more

Consumers aged 18 to 34 were nearly twice as likely to plan higher spending as older age groups.⁷

12. Higher earners cut back, lower earners spent more

Mintel reports that higher earners' Christmas gift spending fell 1.7% year on year in 2025, while households earning under £15,500 raised theirs by almost 5%.⁸

13. Experiences and clothing go first

When consumers cut back, they are most likely to trim experiences and clothing. Gift vouchers, hosting at home and decorations are the least likely to be cut.⁷ The biggest decoration of all is covered in our Christmas tree statistics.

14. In 2024, most spending cuts hit family presents

In a November 2024 YouGov survey, 21% planned to spend less. Of those, 69% would reduce gifts for family, 48% gifts for friends and 43% food and drink.⁹

What the shops took in December

15. December sales grew just 1.2%

UK retail sales rose 1.2% year on year in December 2025, according to the BRC, against 3.2% in December 2024.¹⁰

16. Food rose, non-food fell

Food sales were up 3.1% year on year in December 2025, while non-food sales fell 0.3%. A year earlier, non-food had grown 4.4%.¹⁰

17. Online non-food sales stalled

Online non-food sales dipped 0.1% in December 2025, compared with growth of 11.1% in December 2024. In-store non-food sales fell 0.5%.¹⁰

18. November was slow too

UK retail sales grew 1.4% year on year in November 2025, and non-food sales only 0.1%. The BRC blamed uncertainty before the Budget for a disappointing Black Friday.¹¹

19. Retail volumes fell over the final quarter

The ONS estimates that the volume of goods bought in retail fell 0.3% in the final quarter of 2025 compared with the previous quarter. December itself rose 0.4% on the month.¹²

20. Card spending fell 1.7% in December

Barclays reported that overall card spending dropped 1.7% year on year in December 2025, the sharpest fall since February 2021. Non-essential spending was down 1.3%.¹³

21. Pubs had a festive lift

Pub spending rose 1.9% in December 2025, with transaction volumes peaking on 13 and 20 December. Barclays says festive socialising produced the strongest Saturday spikes of the month.¹³

Black Friday and the hunt for discounts

22. A £10.2bn Black Friday forecast

Barclays expected UK shoppers to spend £10.2bn in the 2025 Black Friday sales, an average of £430 each and £91 more than the year before.¹⁴

23. 43% planned to take part

Barclays found that 43% of UK adults planned to shop the 2025 sales, up from 37% in 2024. Among Gen Z, the figure was 76%.¹⁴

24. Online first, even on Black Friday

Of Black Friday shoppers, 69% intended to buy online and 34% in store. Nearly half (45%) were looking for Christmas gifts at a discount.¹⁴

25. 72% bought Christmas gifts in the Black Friday sales

According to Mintel, 72% of shoppers bought Christmas gifts during Black Friday promotions in 2025, making November the month that starts gift buying.⁵

26. Black Friday online spend: £1.16bn in a day

Adobe Digital Insights measured £1.16bn of online spending in the UK on Black Friday 2025 and £3.8bn over the whole Cyber Weekend.¹⁵

27. Most Black Friday deals can be beaten

Which? tracked 175 home, tech and health appliances at eight retailers and found that 83% were cheaper or the same price at some point outside the four week sales period.¹⁶ At John Lewis the share was 94%, at Amazon 88%.

When and where people shop

28. A quarter start before November

In YouGov's November 2025 survey, 24% of Britons said they had begun their Christmas shopping before November.⁴

29. November is the biggest gift month

Mintel reports that 34% of Britons bought Christmas gifts in November 2025 and 26% in December.⁸

30. A record online Christmas: £26.9bn

Adobe puts UK online spending in November and December 2025 at £26.9bn, up 4.1% on 2024 and the highest figure on record for a Christmas period.¹⁵

31. Mobile took 61.5% of online spend

Of the online spend in November and December 2025, £16.5bn was made on mobile devices, which is 61.5% of the total and 14.1% more than in 2024.¹⁵

32. The online share reached a four year high

The ONS reports that online sales made up 28.3% of retail sales in December 2025, up from 28.0% in November and the highest since January 2022.¹²

33. 36% did most of their 2024 shopping online

In November 2024, 36% of British shoppers planned to buy most of their Christmas gifts online. The share was 46% among 35 to 44 year olds and 20% among 18 to 24 year olds.⁹

Gifts, toys and gift cards

34. Toys: a £0.9bn Christmas

The UK toy market was worth £3.9bn in the year to September 2025, and Circana expected Christmas to account for £0.9bn of it, or 23% of annual sales.¹⁷

35. The toy market grew 6%

Toy sales rose 6% in value in 2025, the biggest increase since 2020. Licensed toys made up 36% of spend and collectables 17%.¹⁷

36. Parents spent 12% more on gifts for their kids

The Insights Family found that parents' spending on gifts for their own children was up 12% year on year in 2025.¹⁷

37. Most people want a surprise

In the YouGov survey, 44% of Britons prefer to be surprised by their gifts and 32% want to choose them. 15% do not want presents at all.⁴ See also our article on unwanted Christmas gifts.

38. Women do the shopping

46% of women say they do all the Christmas gift shopping, compared with 10% of men.⁴

39. One in three joins a Secret Santa

Mintel reports that 32% of gift buyers took part in Secret Santa schemes in 2025, and 43% of higher earners.⁸

40. 88% of employees would like a gift card

In a survey of more than 5,000 European consumers, Blackhawk Network found that 88% of employees want to receive a gift card at Christmas, and 47% say a gift card eases financial stress.¹⁸

Stress, saving and borrowing

41. 27% will struggle to afford Christmas

A YouGov poll for StepChange (17 to 18 November 2025, 2,070 adults) found that 27% of British adults, about 14.3 million people, would struggle to afford Christmas. Among parents with children at home, 31%.²

42. Only 36% save through the year

In the same poll, 36% said they had been saving for Christmas throughout the year, while 23% could not afford to set money aside.²

43. 4 million will struggle and rely on credit

8% of adults, around 4 million people, expected to struggle with Christmas costs and rely on credit. Of these, 87% blamed the higher cost of living and 60% expected to borrow more than the year before.²

44. A debt that lasts into the new year

Of those using credit for Christmas 2025, 43% said repayment would take more than six months, and 17% more than a year.²

45. 19% borrowed for Christmas 2025

In a January 2026 YouGov survey of 2,093 adults in Great Britain, 19% said they had borrowed money to cover Christmas. 73% of them borrowed for gifts, 39% for food and drink and 21% for everyday bills.³

46. Most loans were small

Among borrowers, 38% took on less than £250 and 28% between £250 and £499. 16% borrowed £500 to £999 and 11% borrowed £1,000 or more.³

47. Credit cards first, then buy now pay later

Credit cards were used by 68% of Christmas borrowers, buy now pay later by 29% and overdrafts by 14%.³

48. Only 22% expected to be clear by 31 December

In the Censuswide survey for thinkmoney, 14% of shoppers planned to use buy now pay later and 25% credit cards. Just 22% expected to have cleared their festive bills by the end of December.⁶

49. Debt advice demand peaks in January

In the first working week of January 2026, 13,300 people contacted Citizens Advice about debt. Over the whole of 2025 the charity helped 407,416 people with debt, and the average amount owed was about £8,900.¹⁹ For the emotional side, see our article on Christmas stress and loneliness.

50. A third find shopping stressful

Deloitte reports that 33% of UK consumers find Christmas shopping stressful and 29% the Christmas period as a whole. Among 35 to 54 year olds, 38% do.⁷

What the numbers mean for businesses

Three points matter for anyone who sells or communicates around Christmas. First, budgets are tight and shoppers wait for discounts, so a free, thoughtful gesture stands out more than another price cut. Second, gift vouchers are among the last things people cut, and many want to be surprised rather than to choose. Third, much of the buying now happens on a phone, so anything you send should work well on a small screen.

A digital advent calendar fits these facts: 24 small doors with quizzes, coupons or videos, sent as a link and costing nothing to deliver. See how it works for customers, as a marketing campaign or for employees.

My take

Frequently asked questions

How much do Brits spend on Christmas?

PwC forecast £24.6bn of UK consumer spending for Christmas 2025, or £461 per adult. In YouGov's survey, the median expected festive spend was £550, and Mintel puts average gift spending at £374.

How many people borrow money for Christmas?

In a January 2026 YouGov survey, 19% of UK adults said they borrowed to cover Christmas 2025. Credit cards (68%) and buy now pay later (29%) were the most common methods.

Is Black Friday really cheaper?

Often not. Which? found that 83% of the products it tracked were cheaper or the same price at some point outside the Black Friday sales period. Even so, 72% of shoppers bought Christmas gifts in the sales, according to Mintel.

How much is spent online at Christmas?

Adobe Digital Insights counted £26.9bn of UK online spending in November and December 2025, a record. The ONS puts the online share of all retail sales at 28.3% in December 2025.

When do people start their Christmas shopping?

In YouGov's November 2025 survey, 24% had started before November. Mintel found that 34% bought gifts in November and 26% in December.

How many people struggle to afford Christmas?

A YouGov poll for StepChange found that 27% of British adults, about 14.3 million people, expected to struggle to afford Christmas 2025.

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. 1Grocery Gazette, citing PwC UK Christmas spending survey 2025 (grocerygazette.co.uk)
2. 2StepChange, Christmas polling by YouGov 2025 (stepchange.org)
3. 3YouGov UK, Borrowing to cover Christmas 2025 (yougov.com)
4. 4YouGov UK, The big survey on Christmas 2025 (yougov.com)
5. 5Mintel, UK Christmas Gift Buying Market Report 2026 (store.mintel.com)
6. 6Irish News, citing thinkmoney and Censuswide survey 2025 (irishnews.com)
7. 7Deloitte UK, Christmas survey 2025 (deloitte.com)
8. 8Mintel, Consumer gifting behaviour and seasonal retail trends 2026 (mintel.com)
9. 9YouGov UK, Christmas shopping trends 2024 (yougov.com)
10. 10British Retail Consortium, Retail Sales Monitor December 2025 (brc.org.uk)
11. 11British Retail Consortium, Retail Sales Monitor November 2025 (brc.org.uk)
12. 12Office for National Statistics, Retail sales, Great Britain: December 2025 (ons.gov.uk)
13. 13Morning Advertiser, citing Barclays Consumer Spend report December 2025 (morningadvertiser.co.uk)
14. 14Retail Times, citing Barclays Black Friday forecast 2025 (retailtimes.co.uk)
15. 15IT Brief UK, citing Adobe Digital Insights 2025 (itbrief.co.uk)
16. 16Which?, Black Friday deals analysis 2025 (which.co.uk)
17. 17IFA Magazine, citing Circana and The Insights Family (DreamToys 2025) (ifamagazine.com)
18. 18Employee Benefits, citing Blackhawk Network survey 2025 (employeebenefits.co.uk)
19. 19Citizens Advice, Debt help demand January 2026 (citizensadvice.org.uk)