How Much Do Americans Spend On Holiday Shopping Per Person? | Stats

Holiday shopping in the United States often feels huge once receipts pile up. Across the country, adults pour money into gifts, food, decorations, and travel, then wonder whether their own spending lines up with everyone else.

So, how much do americans spend on holiday shopping per person? Recent consumer surveys from major research firms point to an average close to $890 per adult shopper in 2025 for gifts, seasonal food, decorations, and related retail purchases.

How Much Do Americans Spend On Holiday Shopping Per Person? Average Numbers Explained

The National Retail Federation’s winter holiday consumer survey is the most widely cited benchmark. For the 2025 season, NRF reports that shoppers plan to spend about $890.49 each on holiday gifts, food, decorations, and other seasonal items across November and December.

That figure lands just under the 2024 record, when the same survey pointed to about $902 per person. Looking back over the past decade, the typical range for this statistic runs from roughly the low $800s to low $900s, with short dips during periods of economic stress.

Another common reference comes from Deloitte’s 2025 holiday retail survey, which tracks a broader basket of costs. When gifts, non-gift retail purchases, travel, and entertainment are counted together, Deloitte finds an average holiday budget of about $1,595 per shopper. The gap between the two figures mainly reflects differences in what each survey includes.

Holiday Shopping Per Person In The United States By Year

To place those headline numbers in context, it helps to look at how average holiday spending per person has shifted over recent years. The table below blends National Retail Federation figures with analysis of per-shopper trends.

Year	Average Spend Per Person (USD)	Trend Note
2018	$853	Steady growth before the pandemic period.
2019	$886	Near-record spend heading into 2020.
2020	$880	Small dip as lockdowns reshaped gatherings.
2021	$879	Flat results with supply concerns in the background.
2022	$833	Pullback as higher prices squeezed many households.
2023	$875	Rebound toward pre-pandemic levels.
2024	$902	Record per-person spending, boosted by price increases.
2025*	$890	Planned spend that sits just below the 2024 peak.

*The 2025 estimate reflects survey responses gathered early in the season. Final numbers can shift once retailers report full sales totals.

Across this stretch you can see a clear story. Per-person holiday spending pushed upward in the late 2010s, dipped during the pandemic and its aftermath, and then climbed back near the $900 mark as households adjusted and wages rose in some sectors.

What Counts As Holiday Shopping Spend

When headlines talk about average holiday spending, they usually focus on a set of retail categories instead of every dollar tied to the season. That distinction matters if your own number feels higher or lower than the survey line.

Core Retail Categories

Major surveys such as the National Retail Federation’s winter holiday study generally include these items inside the per-person figure:

• Presents for family members, friends, and co-workers.
• Wrapping supplies, greeting cards, ribbons, and gift bags.
• Seasonal decorations, from lights to ornaments and table settings.
• Food and candy for holiday meals, parties, and office gatherings.
• A modest amount of self-gifting tied directly to the season.

For 2024, NRF data showed that about $641 out of roughly $902 per person went toward gifts, with the remainder covering seasonal food and other non-gift purchases. That split sits close to seventy percent for presents and thirty percent for everything else.

What Often Sits Outside The Headline Number

Travel usually falls into a separate bucket. Flights, long car trips, hotel stays, and event tickets often sit in broader holiday budget surveys, such as the Deloitte research on total seasonal spending, but they are not always baked into the $890-style per-person retail number.

Once you add transportation and experiences, your real holiday cost can land hundreds of dollars above the core retail estimate. That is one reason two neighbors with similar incomes can read the same national statistic yet feel that their own season was either frugal or lavish.

Who Spends The Most On Holiday Shopping

Average figures answer the question on paper, yet the story shifts once you slice the data by age, income, and region. Some groups spend far more than others, even if the national mean stays near $890.

Spending By Age Group

Consumer studies show that adults between roughly forty-five and fifty-four often report the highest holiday budgets. Many people in this band earn more than they did earlier in life and may shop for children, partners, parents, and extended relatives all at once.

Young adults usually spend less in absolute dollars but more as a share of pay. Gen Z shoppers and younger millennials lean heavily on discounts, digital coupons, and buy-now-pay-later plans to make wish lists fit inside limited cash flow.

Regional And Household Differences

Spending also varies across the map. Some data sets point to Northeast residents budgeting around $100 more per person than shoppers in the South, with the Midwest and West in the middle. Differences in wages, heating bills, and local traditions all show up in those gaps.

Household structure plays a part as well. Parents who celebrate with kids tend to spend more on toys, gadgets, and stocking stuffers, while single adults or couples without children may tilt their budgets toward travel, dining out, or shared experiences instead of large piles of wrapped boxes.

Holiday Spending Snapshot By Group

The table below gives a simple, rough snapshot of how holiday shopping per person shifts across groups, based on recent national shopper surveys from NRF, Deloitte, and other research firms. Numbers are rounded ranges, not hard rules.

Group	Typical Spend Per Person	Notes
Gen Z Adult Shopper	$400–$700	Tends to shop sales and spread purchases over months.
Millennial Adult Shopper	$700–$1,100	Balances gifts for kids, friends, and experiences.
Gen X Adult Shopper	$900–$1,300	Often peak earner with a wide gift list.
Baby Boomer Shopper	$700–$1,000	Strong focus on family gifts and gatherings.
Northeast Resident	About $950–$1,050	Spends more on average than other regions.
Southern Resident	About $850–$950	Sits slightly below the Northeast but close to the mean.
Online-First Shopper	$800–$1,200	Spreads spending across multiple retailers and deal days.
In-Store-First Shopper	$700–$1,000	Leans on local sales and same-day buying.

If your own budget falls outside any of these ranges, that does not mean you are doing anything wrong. It simply means your income, obligations, and holiday preferences look different from the survey average.

How Americans Pay For Holiday Purchases

Average spend per person describes the size of the basket, but payment methods decide how the season feels once bills arrive. Surveys show a mix of cash, debit, credit cards, and short-term installment plans.

Cash And Debit

Some shoppers still stick to cash envelopes or debit cards for most seasonal purchases. Matching spending to money already in the account helps keep balances under control, though it may limit last-minute splurges.

Credit Cards

Many households lean on rewards cards for points, miles, or cash back. That can work well when the balance is paid in full each month. Trouble creeps in when a December statement carries several months of impulse buys on top of regular expenses.

Buy Now, Pay Later Plans

Installment services spread costs across a series of small payments. They can make larger gifts feel reachable, especially for younger adults, but stacking too many plans can create a maze of due dates. Most consumer educators recommend keeping these balances modest and tracking them alongside other bills.

How To Read The Average Against Your Own Budget

It can be tempting to treat the national average as a score to match. When you see that an adult plans to spend about $890, you might feel pressure to land near that line, even if your income or goals look different.

A better approach is to treat the statistic like a weather report, not a rule. List who you want to buy for, note travel plans, set a ceiling that fits your monthly cash flow, and price each item against that limit.

If your ceiling ends up lower than the national mean, that simply reflects your own situation. If your total runs far above it and leaves you anxious, adjust a few line items or spread purchases across more months until the number feels steady.

Practical Tips To Keep Holiday Spending In Check

With all this context in mind, the core question still matters: how much do americans spend on holiday shopping per person? And how can you keep your own number in a range that feels comfortable for your financial comfort?

Set A Clear Per-Person Limit

Instead of starting with a single big total, decide how much you want to spend on each person or group. Multiply those caps by the number of recipients, then stop when you reach the combined figure.

Track Purchases As You Go

Spread shopping across several paychecks, but track every gift and seasonal item in a simple note or spreadsheet. Seeing the running total makes it easier to say “enough” before card balances start to sting.

When The Average Number Helps And When It Does Not

Retailers rely on sources such as the National Retail Federation holiday data and the Deloitte holiday retail survey to plan staffing, inventory, and promotions.

Shoppers can borrow the same averages as a loose guide, then shape a personal budget that fits their own income, savings goals, and sense of what feels generous yet still manageable once the season ends.