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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Despite the implied desire to move away from the tradition of buying Christmas gifts, the average expected spend per person on presents came in at €525
Donegal people are expected to spend an average of €615 per person on Christmas gifts this year, a survey has revealed.
PayPal announced the results of a survey of Irish consumers which found out the average spend on social outings in Donegal is expected to be €303 this festive season.
Almost half (46%) of Irish consumers surveyed would prefer to send money to family and friends to avoid buying Christmas gifts.
Despite the implied desire to move away from the tradition of buying Christmas gifts, the average expected spend per person on presents came in at €525. When it comes to the counties, people from Carlow (€780), Kildare (€692), and Meath (€674) expect to spend the most.
Just 14% of people in Ireland surveyed appear to be last-minute Christmas shoppers, 47% expect to spend more on social events and gatherings this festive season and 63% of consumers in Ireland will engage in bill-splitting or group purchases.
The research - conducted by Censuswide and involving 1,001 consumers across Ireland - also revealed that more than three-quarters (78%) would prefer to spend quality time with friends and family rather than buying them gifts this Christmas.
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Given the expectations around spending, there seems to be a shift towards sharing the load – and cost – when it comes to gifting. In fact, 63% of Irish consumers surveyed will engage in bill-splitting or group purchases.
The top bill-splitting activities were revealed to be nights out (47%), family gifts (37%), and Christmas dinner (35%). When paying people back, 46% of people typically round up, while just over a third (36%) would pay people back to the exact cent.
At the other end of the scale, 45% revealed that they have previously not been paid back by friends or family for a gift or activity during the festive season. Moreover, 58% felt too awkward to ask for money they were owed, so they didn’t mention it.
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