The holiday seasons in 2020 and 2021 may have looked less merry and bright as the threat of COVID-19 loomed over travel plans and celebrations. However, as concerns about COVID-19 fade this year, many Americans are now faced with rising financial worries and anxieties.
We continued to ask respondents about their holiday celebrations and travel plans. Our latest survey revealed that more respondents celebrated in person with loved ones in the 2022 holiday season. Specifically, we found that 15% of respondents did not travel or participate in any celebrations this holiday - a decrease of 14% compared to our 2021 findings. Additionally, we observed a 7% increase among respondents who attended or hosted a small gathering and a 6% increase among respondents who attended a large gathering or event this year.
Our latest results show that nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents purchased gifts for loved ones during the 2022 holiday season. However, holiday shoppers were more frugal with their spending this year amid high inflation. We found that 38% of respondents reported an overall decrease in holiday spending compared to our 2021 research.
Holiday deals also played an important role this season; we found that more than half of respondents (52%) purchased at least 40% of their gifts on sale.
Last updated on January 17, 2023. Please check back for updates.
Results based on surveys of 257 respondents from January 6, 2023 through January 9, 2023. All surveys were conducted online from respondents in the United States.
For more information about our survey techniques, click here to visit our Methods page.