50 Latest Valentine’s Day Spending Statistics For The UK (2024)

All you need is love and probably a bit of cash to spend if we’re to believe these UK Valentine’s Day spending statistics. Are Brits ready to spend a fortune on their loved ones, or would they rather splurge on themselves?

UK Valentine’s Day Spending Statistics

1. Brits spent approximately £1.37 billion in 2022. (WunderKind)
2. Spending in 2022 increased by around 15% from 2021. (Statista)
3. In 2021, the total expenditure hit £926 million, decreasing from £1.45 billion in 2020. (Finder)
4. Since 2017, Valentine’s Day spending in the UK has increased by £300 million. (Statista)
5. An average Brit spent £35 on Valentine’s Day in 2020. (Professional Jeweller)
6. 2022’s most significant spikes in online sales occurred on 2 February (up by 99% compared to the daily average for the month) and on 13 February (up by 72%). (Wunderkind)
7. Traffic to e-commerce sites increased by 33% against 2021 and 39% compared to pre-pandemic levels. (Wunderkind)
8. One in five Brits buys Valentine’s Day gifts for their pets, spending £27 million on them. (American Express)

Men vs Women: Who Spends More on Valentine’s Day?

9. Men spend on average £44 for Valentine’s Day, compared to £26 for women. (Evolution Money)
10. Research has found that, in general, men spend 57% more on their loved ones than women. (Barclays)
11. In a survey of 3,000 people, 13.4% of men respondents said they could spend over £50 for Valentine’s Day. (Statista)
12. In the same poll, only a third said they would spend less than £10. (Statista)
13. 50% of women expect a gift worth at least £40 for Valentine’s Day. (Don’t Disappoint Me)
14. 47% of British men don’t expect gifts at all! (Don’t Disappoint Me)
15. 2% of men felt let down by the present they got, compared to 42.6% of women. (Don’t Disappoint Me)

Are the Youngsters More Willing to Spend?

16. The silent generation spent the least (£10) and Generation Z the most (£41) in 2021. (Finder)
17. 2% of 25-34-year-olds spend over £60 on their significant other. (Ocean Finance)
18. 3% of Millenials are willing to fork out £200 for Valentine’s Day, compared to just 2.4% of Baby Boomers. (Ocean Finance)
19. 35% of those over 65 said they don’t plan on spending money on Valentine’s Day. (Ocean Finance)
20. 31% of 18 to 25-year-olds interviewed for a survey said they’d be happy to buy a second-hand gift, compared to just 10% of 55 to 64-year-olds. (Shopiago)

Valentine’s Day Spending by Region

21. London had the biggest Valentine’s Day spenders, with an average spend of just below £40 in 2021. (Finder)
22. Those in the East Midlands spent around £16, the lowest average for 2021. (Finder)
23. Out of the four nations, Scotland spends the least on gifts, with an average of £26. (Evolution Money)
24. However, people in Wales and the South West of England are the least likely to celebrate. (Evolution Money)

Singles vs Couples: Self-Love on the Rise

25. 68% of single ladies now celebrate Galentine’s Day, which is Valentine’s Day but with friends! (Don’t Disappoint Me)
26. 69% of men choose to stay home and spend the day alone. (Don’t Disappoint Me)
27. 25% of Brits said they’d treat themselves on Valentine’s Day in 2020, spending an average of £12.50. (Finder)
28. Interestingly, single people were the least likely to gift themselves on Valentine’s Day. (Finder)

Favourite Valentine’s Day Gifts

29. According to digital payments company Square, sales for products with ‘hearts’ increased by 57.7% in 2022, and chocolate sales went up by 44.9%. (Square)
30. A quarter of respondents in a survey said they planned to buy flowers and plants, 22% said perfume and aftershave, and 21% clothes and lingerie. (Yodel)
31. 2019 spending shows that Brits spent approximately £319 million on dining out, £267 million on flowers and £193 million on clothing and lingerie. (Statista)
32. 23% get gift suggestions from friends and family. (Statista)
33. One in five women in the UK said they don’t want to get a gift card or a lingerie set for Valentine’s Day. (Statista)
34. For couples that live together, 27% planned on getting takeaway, and 26% prioritised cooking a special meal. (Finder)
35. In a Barclaycard survey, 61% of respondents said they’d cook a special dinner at home, followed by 38% of people thinking about gifting chocolates. (Barclays)
36. Brits spent £267 million on romantic weekend breaks in 2019. (Business Leader)
37. 23% of Brits had or would be happy to receive a second-hand Valentine’s Day present. (Shopiago)
38. 25% of Brits buy Valentine’s Day gifts online. (MuchNeeded)
39. Over 50% of Brits search for Valentine’s Day gift ideas in the supermarket. (Statista)
40. The average Brit spends just 30 minutes on Valentine’s Day shopping. (eHarmony)

Cards & Flowers Rule Valentine’s Day

41. Around 145 million cards get sold on Valentine’s Day in the UK, the second most popular holiday after Christmas for sending cards. (BobBooks)
42. Over a third of men thought they’d get a gift card for Valentine’s Day. (Statista)
43. In 2021, a Valentine’s Day card was the most unwanted gift for men. (Statista)
44. 3% of British people have received a card or a gift from a secret admirer. (Ocean Finance)
45. Brits spend £261 million on flower bouquets on Valentine’s Day. (The Valley Group)
46. 40% of British women expected to receive flowers for Valentine’s Day. (Statista)

What Do Brits Think about Valentine’s Day?

47. 25% of couples in the UK think the holiday is too commercialised, and over 50% don’t plan on celebrating. (Marie Claire)
48. 59% of British men believe Valentine’s Day celebrations are pointless. (New Statesman)
49. 37% of people in the UK broke up the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. (The Sun)
50. February 14th is among the busiest days for divorces in the UK, with a 549% bump in trade for solicitors compared to the yearly average. (The Daily Mirror)