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As we enter the festive season, we look at a collection of mainly finance related (and some non-finance related!) facts about Christmas.
1. 97% of people in the UK celebrate Christmas.
2. Brits will spend a total of £24.2 billion on gifts, 10% less than the £26.9 billion spent in 2019.
3. That means an average of £476 per person, which is £37 per person less than the 2019 average of £513 per person.
4. £51,000,000 - The amount saved each year using discount voucher codes.
5. £700,000,000 - The amount of money spent on unwanted Christmas gifts.
6. 1957 - The year of the first ever televised Queen's Christmas speech.
7. £18,000,000,000 - Will be withdrawn from UK cash machines over Christmas.
9. Savings are the most common way for buyers to pay for their present purchases, with over 80% of Brits stating that this is their main source of funds to purchase with.
10. Credit cards are another popular way to pay for Christmas shopping with over 38% of consumers in the UK stating they use them.
11. Over 8.9% of people in the UK borrow money from family or friends for shopping, whilst 12.6% use payday loans.
12. 20% of people simply give cash as a present.
13. 46% of all holiday shopping occurs online.
14. There are many reasons for consumers spending less this Christmas, with 20% blaming the financial impact of the pandemic, 16% stating that they are spending less mainly because they will not be visiting stores this year and 15% stating the primary reason for them spending less on presents this year is because they are not able to see loved ones.
15. On average U.K. consumers will spend £32 on decorations and £225 on food and drink for the season.
16. 21% of those buying Christmas gifts will purchase one or more pieces of jewellery.
17. 21% of shoppers will do their shopping via a mobile device.
18. According to 2020 research, people from Wales are planning to spend the most on Christmas gifts (£611). Londoners are expected to be the second highest spenders (£595), followed by Scotland (£555), Northern Ireland (£519) and the North East (£485). Residents from the East Midlands are predicted to spend the least this Christmas, spending £397.
19. Around 25 million Christmas puddings will be consumed in the UK over Christmas.
20. A UK child receives, on average, 16 presents.
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