Presents from Santa Claus: average bill of €150 per family

The cost of presents from Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) amount to an average of €150 per family in Belgium.

This emerges from an opinion poll of BD myShopi, the platform behind the mobile application of the same name. As part of this, 94% of parents having children aged up to 12 will give a hand to the patron saint of school children for his purchases. So as to find their inspiration, 80% of them will resort to special retailer leaflets.

Santa Claus distributes presents to an average of three children per family, which is a cost of €50 per child. Besides parents, the patron saint of school children also receives assistance from grandparents, godfathers and godmothers and potential in-laws. This is 50% of adults in Belgium. Moreover, men are more generous than women, each gender spending respectively €57 and €43 per child.

The survey shows that the older a child, the more the budget devoted to him or her increases. It is €47 for newborns and very young children, and reaches €61 “for children over 20.”

As cost is not a given, the Belgian consumer seeks to make enquiries. Moreover, BD myShopi finds that the leaflets about special Santa Claus toys are themselves an institution in Belgium. More than nine out of ten children (92%) read them to make their list, including some 60% who cut out pictures to stick them on their Christmas list.

To buy these, 85% of those collaborating with Santa Claus in his efforts have a preference for high-street shops, against 15% who prefer to for opt for online shops. They prefer to buy board games, construction toys or craft materials, with video games being further behind at present.

The survey was conducted online with a representative sample of 1,608 Belgians between 17th and 25th October.


The author: Michel THEYS

Michel Theys, a Belgian native, began his career as a civil servant, serving the public for several decades. After retirement, he shifted gears to follow his passion for journalism. With a background in public administration, Theys brought a unique perspective to his reporting. His insightful articles, covering a wide array of topics, swiftly gained recognition. Today, Michel Theys is a respected journalist known for his balanced and thoughtful reporting in the Belgian media landscape.

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