Towards the end of 2021, 21 percent of Swedish shoppers aged 65 to 79 planning to purchase fewer Christmas gifts would do so because they would not celebrate Christmas with as many people as usual. That represents a significant decline in comparison to the previous year, when 36 percent of the people in that age group spending less money on Christmas gifts planned to celebrate Christmas with fewer people.
A pandemic Christmas
The outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forced many people to change their plans, including those for Christmas. That meant fewer Swedes could spend Christmastime with their friends and family, which is also reflected by a larger share of people who spent less money on Christmas gifts. The pandemic also took its toll on people’s mental health: in Sweden, 30 percent of adults showed symptoms of depression after the pandemic — almost 20 percent more than in pre-pandemic times.
Christmas in Sweden
About four weeks before Christmas, the first Sunday of Advent is celebrated in Sweden. Together with the lighting of the Advent candle on each of the Sundays, many Swedes enjoy “glögg” (hot, spicy mulled wine with blanched almonds and raisins) and “pepparkakor” (gingerbread biscuits). A Christmas tree is one of the most important symbols of what constitutes a real Christmas for Swedes, who look for one and decorate it a few days before Christmas Eve. Food is also an important part of Christmastime celebrations, and a special buffet known as “julbord” (Yule/Christmas table, in a literal translation) is set up for the occasion.
Share of Swedish shoppers who intended to buy fewer Christmas gifts because of smaller Christmas gatherings in 2020 and 2021
Characteristic
2020
2021
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base: respondents who will spend less on Christmas gifts
Supplementary notes
* For the 2021 results, four separate surveys were conducted. The first survey was conducted in August 2021 with a total of 1,382 respondents. The second survey was conducted in September 2021 with a total of 1,345 respondents. The third and fourth surveys were conducted in October 2021 with 1,385 and 3,086 respondents, respectively.
The base for these figures is the amount of respondents who stated they would spend less on Christmas fit
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Svensk Digital Handel, & PostNord. (October 18, 2021). Share of Swedish shoppers who intended to buy fewer Christmas gifts because of smaller Christmas gatherings in 2020 and 2021 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1280771/sweden-shoppers-fewer-christmas-gifts-smaller-gatherings/
Svensk Digital Handel, und PostNord. "Share of Swedish shoppers who intended to buy fewer Christmas gifts because of smaller Christmas gatherings in 2020 and 2021." Chart. October 18, 2021. Statista. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1280771/sweden-shoppers-fewer-christmas-gifts-smaller-gatherings/
Svensk Digital Handel, PostNord. (2021). Share of Swedish shoppers who intended to buy fewer Christmas gifts because of smaller Christmas gatherings in 2020 and 2021. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1280771/sweden-shoppers-fewer-christmas-gifts-smaller-gatherings/
Svensk Digital Handel, and PostNord. "Share of Swedish Shoppers Who Intended to Buy Fewer Christmas Gifts Because of Smaller Christmas Gatherings in 2020 and 2021." Statista, Statista Inc., 18 Oct 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1280771/sweden-shoppers-fewer-christmas-gifts-smaller-gatherings/
Svensk Digital Handel & PostNord, Share of Swedish shoppers who intended to buy fewer Christmas gifts because of smaller Christmas gatherings in 2020 and 2021 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1280771/sweden-shoppers-fewer-christmas-gifts-smaller-gatherings/ (last visited August 24, 2024)
Share of Swedish shoppers who intended to buy fewer Christmas gifts because of smaller Christmas gatherings in 2020 and 2021 [Graph], Svensk Digital Handel, & PostNord, October 18, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1280771/sweden-shoppers-fewer-christmas-gifts-smaller-gatherings/