How much is spent on Easter eggs?
Our research found that an estimated £381 million will be spent on Easter eggs this year; this is £154 million more than if consumers bought the same amount of chocolate but in bar form (£227 million). Read more…
Easter statistics UK
How much are we planning to spend this Easter?
This year, Easter falls between 10 April and 13 April, but the Easter eggs have been piling up at local supermarkets for weeks now. Here at Finder, we conducted our annual survey to find out how much Brits expect to spend on chocolate, gifts and entertaining over the four-day weekend. And if you’re still looking for Easter treats, take a look at our gift guide for great ideas on chocolate eggs and gifts for this Easter.
Easter spending statistics
Our research revealed that almost three-quarters of Brits (73%) plan to celebrate Easter this year, which is equivalent to 38.3 million people. More than three-fifths (62%) plan on spending over the long weekend, meaning the total number of Brits that are planning to spend is 32.6 million. Alternatively, 11% of Brits say they will celebrate Easter without spending anything. Those who plan to part with their money will pay £27.66 on average, meaning this year’s average overall spend is estimated to be £902 million.
Easter spending trends
It seems when comparing this year’s data to last year’s (2019) that fewer people intend to celebrate and spend on Easter 2020. This could be due to the social distancing measures and financial implications caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The number of those who are planning to celebrate is down by 6% compared to 2019 (78%), while those who intend to spend is down by 11% since 2019 (69%). Similarly, the average individual spend has decreased by £2.48 from 2019’s £30.14, meaning that the overall spend on Easter is down by £198 million (£1.1 billion).
| Easter festivities | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average spend | £24.41 | £30.14 | £27.66 |
| Percentage of Brits celebrating Easter | 70% | 78% | 73% |
| Percentage of Brits planning to spend | 59% | 69% | 62% |
| Population that is spending | 30,917,973 | 35,896,291 | 32,621,082 |
| Overall spend | £754,707,720.00 | £1,081,914,200.00 | £902,299,118.00 |
Easter spending across the UK
The North East of England tops the other UK regions, with shoppers there expecting to part with £39.47 on average. Additionally this region has the highest proportion of residents who plan to spend on Easter this year (73%). Those in the South West of England propose to spend the least, an average of £22.78. Northern Ireland’s residents are the least likely to spend on Easter, with only 57% of residents saying they plan to pay out for Easter gifts.
| Region | Average spend | Percentage of each region's residents who are planning to spend |
|---|---|---|
| East of England | £25.02 | 61% |
| East Midlands | £23.06 | 59% |
| London | £36.60 | 61% |
| North East | £39.47 | 73% |
| North West | £25.54 | 57% |
| Northern Ireland | £33.44 | 57% |
| Scotland | £23.23 | 59% |
| South East | £29.62 | 67% |
| South West | £22.78 | 59% |
| Wales | £25.39 | 68% |
| West Midlands | £27.85 | 66% |
| Yorshire and the Humber | £24.57 | 63% |
Gender differences in Easter spending
We found that women are more likely to spend their cash this Easter, with nearly two-thirds (65%) saying that they are planning to spend, compared to only three-fifths (59%) of men. However, on average, men will shell out £29.83, a slightly higher amount than women, who expect to rack up an average spend of £25.77 over Easter.
| Gender | Average spend | Percentage of each gender planning to spend |
|---|---|---|
| Female | £25.77 | 65% |
| Male | £29.83 | 59% |
Generational differences in Easter spending
Millennials are the least cost-conscious generation and they plan to spend £32.41 on average. Generation Z expect to spend £20.77, which is the lowest amount. Similarly, almost three-quarters of millennials (73%) plan to spend, this is the highest proportion of spenders across all generations. At the other end of the scale are baby boomers, with just over half (54%) of this generation intending to spend on Easter 2020.
| Generation | Average spend | Percentage of each generation planning to spend |
|---|---|---|
| Postmillennial/Generation Z (Born after 1996) | £20.77 | 69% |
| Millennials (Born 1981-1996) | £32.41 | 73% |
| Generation X (Born 1965-1980) | £29.39 | 61% |
| Boomers (Born 1946-1964) | £23.40 | 54% |
| Silent (Born 1928-1945) | £23.19 | 55% |
Methodology
- Finder commissioned Onepoll in March 2020 to carry out a nationally representative survey of adults aged 18+.
- A total of 2,000 people were questioned throughout Great Britain, with representative quotas for gender, age and region.
