Finns’ Christmas budgets are higher than last year
FINNISH PEOPLE plan to spend 565 euros per adult on gifts and other expenses at Christmas – 34 euros more than a year ago, says a study commissioned by Nordea.
“The economic recovery, the improving employment situation and the alleviation of uncertainty have all contributed to improving consumer confidence in their own finances. This is evident this year in the rise in Christmas consumption. ” analyzed Juho Kostiainen, Nordean economists.
According to the survey, Finns plan to spend an average of 341 euros on gifts and 224 euros on other expenses.
Although the majority (57%) of all respondents said that their consumption choices during the holidays would not be affected by the climate emergency, about half of respondents aged 18-34 said that their choices were influenced by climate considerations. Nearly half (48%) of respondents said they could consider giving second-hand products as gifts, while nearly a quarter (23%) said they had already done so.
However, both the emergency and coronavirus pandemics seem to have affected holiday travel plans, with 15 per cent of respondents citing the pandemic and 10 per cent as a reason to spend Christmas in Finland.
“The coronavirus and climate change are changing people’s travel habits permanently,” Kostiainen said. – A large part of the money Finns spend on travel stays at home.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents said they plan to pay expenses with normal income, according to the financial service provider. The share of those who used their savings for holidays increased by three percentage points from a year ago to 27 per cent.
More than 1,000 people aged 18-79 responded to the survey.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT