Average Household Holiday Spending: How to Compare Yours
Compare your same-scope holiday total to per-person, household, and all-in averages to spot where to trim.
Average household holiday spending is $1,654 for 2026, split between $988 for retail goods and $666 for activities, according to Deloitte Deloitte holiday outlook. To compare yours, add the same categories and place your total beside that same-scope figure. Household holiday spending means the full seasonal outlay for one home, not spending per person.
That scope matters because other trackers count different things, from gifts only to an all-in season total.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 05, 2026.
Pick the benchmark that fits your costs
According to the National Retail Federation, planned spending averaged $890.49 per person in 2025 for gifts, food, decorations and seasonal items NRF holiday survey. That was down 1.3% from $901.99 in 2024 and the second-highest in 23 years. Use this per-person figure for a single adult budget.
According to Deloitte, households expect $1,654 in 2026, with $988 for retail goods and $666 for holiday activities Deloitte holiday outlook. Compare your goods and travel or entertaining separately against those parts. A $1,200 gift total looks high beside $988, even if your full-season total looks typical.
According to Gallup, adults expected to spend $1,007 on gifts in 2025, flat against $1,014 in 2024 Gallup holiday poll. That gifts-only number fits if you track presents alone. For a full season with hosting, travel and decorations, use the all-in family estimate of $2,828.29 from the Affinity Federal Credit Union index, as reported by ROI-NJ Affinity holiday spending report.
Why totals rose in one place and fell in another
Deloitte found households planned $1,595 in 2025, down 10% from the prior year. Nearly all generations and income groups pulled back except Gen X. Shoppers sought deals and traded down.
By 2026, Deloitte expectations rose 4% to $1,654. The Affinity Federal Credit Union index also rose 2.9% to $2,828.29 for Thanksgiving to New Year. Hosting a meal for 12 averaged $362.80 in 2025, up about 5% from $344.61 in 2024.
Food and hosting inflation hits household comparisons harder than gifts alone. If your guest list grew, your meal cost can rise while gift spending stays flat. Split those lines before you judge your total.
How to compare yours in the same scope
Add only the categories your chosen benchmark counts. Do not place an all-in season total beside a gifts-only average. If you host, pull meal costs out first because a $362.80 dinner for 12 can hide savings elsewhere.
Then judge gifts against gifts, and travel and entertaining against travel and entertaining.
- List gifts, food, decor, travel and entertaining separately for November through December
- Match each line to one scope: per-person, household goods plus activities, or all-in family
- Compare your actual outlay, not your early plan, and check your income band
What these averages cannot tell you
These benchmarks record planned, self-reported spending, not audited receipts. The National Retail Federation surveyed about 8,000 adults with a ±1.1-point margin. Gallup polled 1,000 adults by phone in Oct.
1-16, 2025. Use your final same-scope total for the match. Check your income band rather than one national number.
A lower-income home can sit below $1,654 and still spend at its peer pace.