Average Holiday Spending per Person (2013–2024)
Holiday retail sales in the United States have risen every year for more than a decade, and are forecast to reach as much as $989 billion in 2024.
What does this translate to in terms of holiday spending per person? In other words, how much does the average American spend on holiday shopping every year? Here’s an annual breakdown.
Average holiday spending per person: 2013–2024
|
Year |
Average holiday spending per person |
Annual change |
|
2013 |
$767 |
|
|
2014 |
$802 |
+4.6% |
|
2015 |
$819 |
+2.1% |
|
2016 |
$796 |
-2.8% |
|
2017 |
$826 |
+3.8% |
|
2018 |
$853 |
+3.3% |
|
2019 |
$886 |
+3.9% |
|
2020 |
$880 |
-0.7% |
|
2021 |
$879 |
-0.1% |
|
2022 |
$833 |
-5.2% |
|
2023 |
$875 |
+5.0% |
|
2024 |
$902 |
+3.1% |
How much does the average American spend on holiday shopping?
According to a forecast by the National Retail Federation, average holiday spending per person is expected to hit $902 in 2024. Not only does this mark a 3.1% increase from 2023’s average expenditure, it’s also the first time per-person spending is anticipated to exceed $900.
This year’s projected increase marks a slowdown from the previous year, when the average holiday spending per person rose by 5%. According to experts, the increase in 2023 marked a return to pre-pandemic numbers, and credited it to stable household finances, which bolstered consumers’ ability to spend. Prior to 2023, the previous time average holiday spending per person registered a year-on-year growth was in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of the $902 the average US consumer is forecast to spend in 2024, $641 is set to be on gifts. This represents 71.1% of the total spend per person. The remaining $261 (28.9%) is expected to be spent on seasonal items such as decorations, cards, candy, and food.
How much do Americans spend on holiday shopping per person: 2013–2023
The average holiday spending per person has fluctuated over the past decade. Nonetheless, the data shows that overall annual holiday spending is on an upward trajectory.
In 2013, the average US consumer spent $767 on the holiday season. This rose by 4.6% in 2014, to $802, before another increase of 2.1% in 2015, to $819 per person. In 2016, the average holiday spending per person dropped by 2.8%, falling below $800 for the first time in three years.
Three successive years of increase followed, as the average holiday spending per person rose to $886 in 2019. This is one of the highest average expenditures ever recorded, second only to 2024’s expected spend. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, consumers spent less on the holiday season. In 2020, year-end shopping fell by 0.7%, to $880, before falling by another 0.1% in 2021, to $879. 2022 witnessed the biggest annual fall in the past decade, as average holiday spending per person tumbled by 5.2%, to $833. Expenditures rebounded in 2023, rising by 5%—the biggest annual increase in at least a decade—to $875 per person.