The Peak Age for Christmas

Key Findings

• The Peak Age for Christmas presents is age 16-17, where people receive an average of 10.5 presents and make a profit of $815 in total present value.
• The age when people receive the most Christmas gifts in total is (perhaps surprisingly) between 46-52, with people in this age group receiving an average of 12 Christmas gifts, due to family size generally being at its biggest.
• 26 is the age at which people start to give more than they receive when it comes to total Christmas present value.
• At age 43, people see the largest overall loss in present value, spending $755 more on other people than they receive in gifts; they also give out 15 presents and receive just 8.
• Those aged between 53 and 76 typically receive the fewest gifts with an average of 7 each year, totaling $485 in value.
• We give out the most Christmas gifts (15 per year on average) between the ages of 29 and 52.
• Those aged 43-52 spend the most on Christmas gifts for other people at an average spend of $1,230.

The best age for receiving Christmas presents

The results of our study show that the best age to be at Christmas is 16-17. This is the age when people typically see the biggest overall gain in gift value (that's when you should be the most grateful). People aged 16 and 17 receive gifts with an average total value of $815 but people in this group are perhaps not old enough to be buying Christmas presents for others yet.

How many Christmas gifts do 16 and 17-year-olds receive from family members?

Let's break down the average number of holiday gifts received by people aged 16 and 17:

The number of Christmas gifts we receive by age

Perhaps surprisingly, the age where we receive the most Christmas presents is between 46 and 52. People in this age group receive the most Christmas gifts on average with 12 presents and a total value of $775.

This result is probably due to the fact that people aged between 46 and 52 are the most likely group to have adult children at the same time as still having their own parents alive, as well as aunts and uncles. They also typically receive gifts from spouses and siblings, meaning overall they have more people to receive gifts from. Though people in this age range receive more presents on average, the typical value of the presents is lower than those received by younger people, older teens in particular.

This is followed by people aged 21-24 who receive an average of 11.5 Christmas presents with a total value of $850. Our analysis found that people in this age group still receive 2.5 gifts from their parents on average, and are also likely to still have Grandparents around to receive gifts from.

People aged between 53 and 76 receive the fewest gifts for Christmas with 7 on average at a total of $485. In this age range, people are likely to have lost their parents, and aunts and uncles, meaning they receive presents just from their children, spouses and siblings.

The net value of Christmas presents we receive

While people aged 46-52 receive the highest number of gifts on average, they also fall into the group who give the most and spend the most on presents for others. Although these people have the most family members to receive presents from, they also have the most to buy for.

In fact, people aged 43 see the biggest net loss when it comes to Christmas presents, spending an average of $755 more on presents than they receive, and giving out 15 presents compared to the 8 they typically receive.

26 is the average age at which we start to give more than we receive when it comes to Christmas presents.

The number of Christmas gifts we give by age

On the flip side, the number of presents we give at Christmas also varies by age.

Interestingly, the people who receive the most presents (aged 46 to 52) also give the most Christmas presents to others, with people in this group giving out an average of 15 presents a year, at a total cost of $1,030. Those aged 29 to 45 also give this number of presents at the same total spend.

Aside from children under 18, people aged between 53 and 76 give out the fewest Christmas presents each year at an average of 7, totaling $550.

What parents spend on children for Christmas

Almost half (47.7%) of people with children said they spend between $50 and $200 per child on Christmas presents, with 6.5% saying they spend between $500 and $1,000 on gifts for each child.

Over half (51.4%) of parents say they give their children two or three Christmas presents each, but 4.2% say they give their children more than ten gifts each.

A similar number of parents (49.9%) say they receive one or two Christmas gifts from each of their children.

Christmas gifts we give and receive over a lifetime

The number of Christmas presents we give and receive changes over our lifetime, due to changes in the number of people we have to buy for, and the number of people who can buy for us.

The chart below shows how the number of gifts we give and receive typically changes over our lives.

How spending on Christmas has changed over time

Between 2013 and 2023, the average amount spent on Christmas fluctuated between $767 (2013), and a peak of $886 (2019). The average spend on Christmas across this 10-year period was $838.

Those surveyed said they would spend an average of $875 on Christmas in 2023, including gifts, food, and decorations.

The percentage of holiday spending people put towards gifts has also fluctuated similarly, with an average of 73.3% of Christmas spending being used for gifts between 2013 and 2023.

People say they expect to put an average of 70.9% of their Christmas spending towards gifts in 2023.

Methodology

We ran a survey of 1,046 American adults in November 2023 to find out how many Christmas presents people buy, and how much they spend on gifts for their family members each year.

We assumed people start giving gifts to family members at the age of 18.

Using the survey, we found out how many gifts people give to each family member at different ages in their lives.

We used the survey to find out the most common cost of gifts given and received by each person.

We collected data from sources including the U.S. Census and the CDC to determine at what age, on average, people have children and lose their parents. This allowed us to determine how many family members we receive gifts from and buy gifts for at each stage of our lives.