Holiday spending in the U.S. shifts by generation and household needs, with many families adjusting their plans as the season approaches. Parents of kids under 18 were more likely to increase holiday budgets in 2023, and online shopping remained a major driver—especially via mobile. This guide breaks down total holiday spend, category and regional patterns, and the wider effects on small businesses, jobs, and GDP growth.
Key Takeaways
- Gen Z online holiday spending averaged $450 per person in 2023, 25% above average per Attentive
- Millennials planned $1,050 holiday budgets in 2023, highest among generations via Deloitte survey
- Boomers spent $782 on average for holidays 2023, focusing on family gifts per AARP
- U.S. online holiday sales hit $223 billion in 2023, up 6.7% per Adobe Analytics
- Cyber Monday 2023 online sales record $12.4 billion, +9.6% YoY via Adobe
- Black Friday 2023 U.S. online sales $9.8 billion, up 7.5% per Adobe Analytics
- Holiday retail contributed 0.5% to U.S. GDP growth in Q4 2023 per BEA estimates
- Holiday sales added 200,000 seasonal jobs in U.S. 2023 totaling 1.6 million per NRF
- Small businesses captured 30% of holiday spend, $288 billion in 2023 via American Express
- U.S. holiday spending 2023 included $240 billion on gifts per NRF breakdown
- Apparel and accessories accounted for 18% of U.S. holiday spend or $172 billion in 2023 via Census Bureau
- Toys and games sales hit $28.5 billion during 2023 holidays per NPD Group
- In 2023, U.S. holiday consumer spending totaled $957.3 billion, marking a 3.8% increase from 2022 according to the National Retail Federation
- Global holiday retail sales reached $1.1 trillion in 2022, driven by e-commerce growth per Statista data
- U.S. holiday spending per consumer averaged $875 in 2023, up 4% from prior year via NRF survey
In 2023, U.S. holiday spending topped $957.3 billion, fueled by online growth and rising budgets, especially among younger shoppers.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consumer Demographics And Behavior20 stats
01
Gen Z online holiday spending averaged $450per person in 2023, 25% above average per Attentive
02
Millennials planned $1,050holiday budgets in 2023, highest among generations via Deloitte survey
03
Boomers spent $782on average for holidays 2023, focusing on family gifts per AARP
04
68% of parents with kids under 18 increased holiday budgets in 2023 per NRF
05
Urban consumers spent 15% more on holidays than rural in 2023, $980 vs $850 avg via Census data
06
High-income households ($100k+) averaged $1,500 holiday spend 2023 per Federal Reserve survey
07
Single shoppers spent $620on average holidays 2023 vs $1,200 for families per Numerator
08
Hispanic consumers boosted holiday spending 12% to $95 billion total in 2023 via Nielsen
09
Black shoppers averaged $850holiday budget 2023, up 8% YoY per Packaged Facts
10
Women controlled 75% of holiday shopping decisions and spent $550 avg in 2023 via AlixPartners
11
42% of consumers used buy now pay later for holidays 2023, avg $300 per user per Affirm
12
55% of shoppers started holiday buying before November in 2023 per Google Trends
13
Loyalty program members spent 20% more, $1,050 avg holiday 2023 via Bond Brand Loyalty
14
Eco-conscious shoppers paid 10% premium on sustainable gifts, 35% of total 2023 per NielsenIQ
15
62% of consumers sought deals, influencing $300 avg savings per household 2023 via Cox Automotive
16
Pet owners spent $250extra on pet gifts holidays 2023, 40% of households per APPA
17
College students averaged $350holiday spend 2023, 80% on peers/family per NCSA
18
Empty nesters increased experiential gifts by 25%, $450 avg 2023 via Experian
19
Low-income (<$50k) cut holiday budgets 5% to $650 avg in 2023 per Urban Institute
20
71% of consumers shopped for self during holidays 2023, $180 avg self-gifting per NRF
Interpretation
Consumer Demographics And Behavior Interpretation
Consumer demographics show that holiday spending is skewing upward as households with more spending power and stronger behavioral willingness lead, with high income families averaging $1,500 in 2023 and 68% of parents of kids under 18 raising their budgets, while even Gen Z online shoppers still averaged $450 per person and urban consumers spent 15% more than rural residents.
02 · Category
E Commerce And Online Trends20 stats
01
U.S. online holiday sales hit $223 billion in 2023, up 6.7% per Adobe Analytics
02
Cyber Monday 2023 online sales record $12.4 billion, +9.6% YoY via Adobe
03
Black Friday 2023 U.S. online sales $9.8 billion, up 7.5% per Adobe Analytics
04
Mobile commerce accounted for 58% of online holiday sales in 2023 totaling $130 billion via Statista
05
Amazon captured 38% of U.S. online holiday spend in 2023 per Slice data
06
Walmart e-commerce holiday sales grew 22% to $20 billion in 2023 via company reports
07
Online apparel sales $50 billion during 2023 holidays up 10% per Edited
08
Digital downloads like music and apps $4.2 billion holiday 2023 via IFPI
09
Social commerce sales hit $22 billion in U.S. holidays 2023 per Insider Intelligence
10
Buy Online Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) orders 25% of online holiday volume in 2023 per Salesforce
11
Voice commerce via Alexa/Siri $5 billion holiday sales 2023 estimates Voicebot.ai
12
Livestream shopping generated $50 billion globally in 2023 holiday peak per McKinsey
13
Subscription box holiday gifts $3.8 billion online sales 2023 via Subbly
14
NFT and digital collectibles holiday sales $1.2 billion in 2023 via DappRadar
15
Online grocery holiday orders up 15% to $12 billion in 2023 per Brick Meets Click
16
Luxury goods online holiday sales $18 billion U.S. 2023 via Bain & Company
17
Cross-border e-commerce holiday volume $45 billion in 2023 per eMarketer
18
AR try-on features boosted online conversion 30% during 2023 holidays per Shopify
19
Email marketing drove 22% of online holiday sales in 2023 totaling $49 billion via Litmus
20
Online toy sales $15 billion in 2023 holidays, 52% of total toy market per Circana
Interpretation
E Commerce And Online Trends Interpretation
In the E Commerce And Online Trends landscape, U.S. online holiday sales reached $223 billion in 2023 while mobile accounted for 58% of online spending and major retailers like Walmart grew e-commerce holiday sales 22% to $20 billion.
03 · Category
Economic And Regional Impacts19 stats
01
Holiday retail contributed 0.5% to U.S. GDP growth in Q4 2023 per BEA estimates
02
Holiday sales added 200,000 seasonal jobs in U.S. 2023 totaling 1.6 million per NRF
03
Small businesses captured 30% of holiday spend, $288 billion in 2023 via American Express
04
Northeast U.S. holiday spending per capita $3,200highest regionally in 2023 per Census
05
California holiday retail sales $120 billion in 2023, 12% of national total per CDTFA
06
Midwest saw 4.2% holiday sales growth slowest in 2023 per Deloitte regional analysis
07
Imports for holiday goods added $50 billion to U.S. trade deficit Q4 2023 per Census Trade
08
Inflation cooled to 2.1% impact on holiday goods in 2023 per BLS CPI data
09
Charity donations during holidays totaled $85 billion in 2023, 30% of annual giving per Giving USA
10
Texas holiday sales tax revenue $15 billion in 2023 up 5% per Texas Comptroller
11
Florida tourism-driven holiday spend $40 billion in 2023 per VISIT Florida
12
Pacific Northwest holiday growth 6.1% highest regional 2023 via Moody's Analytics
13
Holiday shipping costs added $10 billion to consumer prices 2023 per ShipMatrix
14
Supply chain disruptions reduced holiday inventory 8% costing $20 billion sales per IHS Markit
15
UK high streets saw £12 billion holiday footfall spend 2023 per Springboard
16
Canada retail holiday contribution to GDP 0.4% in Q4 2023 per Statistics Canada
17
EU holiday trade surplus €15 billion in 2023 per Eurostat
18
Asia-Pacific holiday e-commerce boosted regional GDP 0.3% 2023 per ADB
19
U.S. South holiday spending $250 billion total 2023, fastest growing region per Census regions
Interpretation
Economic And Regional Impacts Interpretation
Regional and economic ripples from the holidays were clearly uneven, with holiday retail contributing 0.5% to U.S. Q4 2023 GDP growth while the Midwest posted the slowest holiday sales growth at 4.2% compared with the Northeast reaching the highest per capita spend of $3,200 in 2023.
More related reading
04 · Category
Gifts And Apparel Spending24 stats
01
U.S. holiday spending 2023 included $240 billion on gifts per NRF breakdown
02
Apparel and accessories accounted for 18% of U.S. holiday spend or $172 billion in 2023 via Census Bureau
03
Toys and games sales hit $28.5 billion during 2023 holidays per NPD Group
04
Electronics and appliances made up 15% of holiday budgets, $143 billion in 2023 per NRF
05
Food and beverage holiday spending reached $110 billion in U.S. 2023 via FMI
06
Home furnishings sales surged 12% to $65 billion in holiday 2023 per Home Furnishings Association
07
Jewelry spending during holidays was $12.4 billion in 2023 per Jewelers Board of Trade
08
Books and entertainment gifts totaled $8.7 billion in U.S. holidays 2023 via AAP
09
Sporting goods holiday sales $15.2 billion in 2023 up 5% per SGMA
10
Health and beauty products $22 billion during 2023 holidays per IRI
11
Toys for ages 6-12 dominated with $10.3 billion sales in 2023 holiday per Circana
12
Women's apparel holiday spend $45 billion in 2023 via Edited data
13
Men's clothing $28 billion during U.S. holidays 2023 per NPD
14
Video games sales $9.1 billion holiday 2023 per ESA
15
Pet gifts spending reached $12 billion in 2023 holidays per APPA
16
Candy and confectionery $4.5 billion holiday sales 2023 via NCA
17
Furniture holiday purchases $18 billion in 2023 per AHFA
18
Kitchenware and housewares $14.7 billion U.S. holiday 2023 via HIRI
19
Art and hobby supplies $3.2 billion during holidays 2023 per CHA
20
Musical instruments gifts $1.1 billion holiday 2023 estimates NAMM
21
Dolls and plush toys $6.8 billion sales 2023 holiday per Toy Association
22
Board games $2.4 billion during U.S. holidays 2023 via NPD
23
Gift cards purchased $28 billion in 2023 holidays per NAPCO Research
24
Experiential gifts like tickets $19 billion holiday spend 2023 per Eventbrite
Interpretation
Gifts And Apparel Spending Interpretation
In the 2023 holiday season, gifts and apparel spending proved especially powerful as apparel and accessories alone reached $172 billion or 18% of total holiday spend, underlining how strongly shoppers prioritize wearable and giftable items.
05 · Category
Overall Spending Statistics29 stats
01
In 2023, U.S. holiday consumer spending totaled $957.3 billion, marking a 3.8% increase from 2022 according to the National Retail Federation
02
Global holiday retail sales reached $1.1 trillion in 2022, driven by e-commerce growth per Statista data
03
U.S. holiday spending per consumer averaged $875in 2023, up 4% from prior year via NRF survey
04
2024 projected U.S. holiday sales at $979.5 billion, a 2.5-3.5% rise per NRF forecast
05
UK Christmas spending hit £89.2 billion in 2023, 2.1% higher than 2022 according to KPMG
06
Average U.S. household holiday spend was $1,028in 2023 per American Express survey
07
Canadian holiday spending totaled CAD 58.2 billion in 2023, up 1.8% YoY via Retail Council of Canada
08
In 2022, U.S. Black Friday-Cyber Monday sales hit $9.12 billion online alone per Adobe Analytics
09
European holiday e-commerce sales reached €250 billion in 2023 estimates from Ecommerce Europe
10
Australian Christmas retail sales grew 3.2% to AUD 52.4 billion in 2023 per Australian Retailers Association
11
U.S. holiday spending accounted for 19% of annual retail sales in 2023 per U.S. Census Bureau
12
Brazil's holiday spending surged 8.5% to BRL 120 billion in 2023 via FecomercioSP
13
2023 U.S. per capita holiday spend was $2,850according to Deloitte analysis
14
Japan's year-end spending reached ¥10.5 trillion in 2023, up 2% per Japan Department Stores Association
15
India festive season sales hit INR 5 lakh crore in 2023 estimates from Deloitte India
16
France holiday retail turnover was €102 billion in 2023 per FEVAD
17
Germany Christmas market sales totaled €5.2 billion in 2023 via German Trade Association
18
Mexico holiday spending grew 4.1% to MXN 450 billion in 2023 per ANTAD
19
South Korea Chuseok and Christmas combined spend was KRW 45 trillion in 2023 per KOSTAT
20
U.S. 2023 holiday sales beat inflation by 1.2% growth per Mastercard SpendingPulse
21
China Singles' Day 2023 sales hit RMB 1.68 trillion on Alibaba platforms
22
Italy Natale spending reached €45 billion in 2023 per Confcommercio
23
Spain holiday retail sales up 3.4% to €28 billion in 2023 via Mercamadrid
24
Turkey holiday shopping totaled TRY 500 billion in 2023 estimates from TOBB
25
Russia New Year spending grew 5% to RUB 1.2 trillion in 2023 per Rosstat
26
Sweden Jul spending hit SEK 120 billion in 2023 per Svensk Handel
27
Netherlands holiday sales €15.6 billion in 2023 up 2.8% via CBS Netherlands
28
U.S. 2022 holiday spend inflation-adjusted grew 1% per BEA data
29
Singapore Christmas sales SGD 2.5 billion in 2023 per SPRING Singapore
Interpretation
Overall Spending Statistics Interpretation
Overall holiday spending is trending upward across markets, with US total holiday consumer spending reaching $957.3 billion in 2023 and projected to climb further to $979.5 billion in 2024.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Holiday Spending Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/holiday-spending-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Holiday Spending Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/holiday-spending-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Holiday Spending Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/holiday-spending-statistics.
Sources & references
86 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
shopify.com