ZAGREB, 13 Dec (Hina) – A total of 80% of Croatians plan to purchase Christmas gifts this year, with nearly 40% intending to spend approximately €130 or more, according to a survey conducted by the Ja Trgovac magazine.

Last year, only 7% of respondents said they would spend over €130 on Christmas presents, but this year that figure has surged to 17%. The number of those planning to spend slightly less, up to €130, has also increased to 21%.

Fewer people are opting for smaller budgets. The share of respondents planning to spend up to €70 has dropped to 25%, while those intending to spend no more than €25 has fallen by eight percentage points to 17%. The proportion of individuals who do not plan to purchase any gifts has also declined, now standing at 20%.

When comparing this year’s spending to the previous year, 54% of gift buyers stated they would spend the same amount as last year, while 26% plan to spend less, and 19% intend to spend more. This represents a notable increase, as only 10% of respondents last year said they would spend more, while 35% indicated they would spend less.

Online shopping continues to grow in importance, with 57% of respondents’ three percentage points higher than last year indicating they will purchase at least some of the Christmas gifts online.

For many Christmas shopping adds extra stress, as reported by 18% of respondents, a rise compared to last year. Meanwhile, those who find gift shopping a pleasure now make up 40%. Another 42% of respondents reported that the experience brings both stress and satisfaction.

The survey was conducted in November 2024 by the Ja Trgovac magazine and the Hendal market research agency on a nationally representative sample of Croatian citizens aged 16 and older. The research was done on a random selection of households and participants within each household. The sample was balanced by gender, age, and educational status of the respondents.