Valentine’s Day Spending Statistics: The High Cost of Romance

Valentine’s Day is a time for couples to flaunt their love and spoil their partner with heart-shaped chocolates and roses.

But since it first started being observed in the 6th century B.C., Valentine’s Day has evolved into one of the year’s most lucrative shopping seasons.

The data shows that tens of billions of dollars are spent each year on Valentine's Day. And even though its charm and appeal started fading, there are still entire industries that remain highly dependent on lovers exchanging gifts.

Key Valentine’s Day Statistics for 2026 - Editor’s Choice

• Valentine’s Day spending in the US amounted to around $29.1 billion in 2026.
• Americans spent over $2.1 billio on Valentine’s Day gifts for their pets.
• More than 174 million Americans went shopping for Valentine’s Day in 2026.
• Some 85% of all Valentine’s cards are bought by women.
• Men expect to spend roughly double than women on gifts for their partners.

Spending on Valentine’s Day in the US amounted to roughly $29.1 billion in 2026.

(National Retail Federation)

The 2026 projection marks a significant jump from 2025’s record of $27.5 billion, as shoppers expand their gift lists beyond just romantic partners to include wider social circles.

The average expenditure per consumer on Valentine's Day reached record $199.78 in 2026.

(Prosper Insights & Analytics)

The new record in average consumer spending on this holiday is largely driven by increased spenditure on pets and the inclusion of more people in gift-giving.

American consumers spent $2.1 billion on gifts for their pets on Valentine’s Day 2026.

(Doofinder)

Additionally, some $1.7 billion was spent on gifts for coworkers.

26% of Gen Zers in 2024 returned the gifts they recieve from their loved ones on Valentine's Day.

(SAP Emarsys)

This makes the youngest population by far the most likely to return Valentine's Day gifts, almost doubling the percentage of Gen Xers who do the same. 

41% of American adults purchased flowers or plants as gifts for the occasion in 2026.

(National Retail Federation)

The total spending on flowers for the 2026 Valentine's Day was at $3.1 billion, up from $2.6 billion the year before.

56% of Americans celebrating Valentine's bought candy as a gift in 2026.

(National Retail Federation)

Chocolate is by far the most common type of gift purchased for this holiday, and has remained the top choice last year as well.

33% of Americans in relationships went into credit card debt due to overspending on Valentine's Day gifts in 2024.

(Lending Tree)

Out of those that went into debt, 50% of men did not tell that to their loved ones, while 44% of women didn't.

Red roses accounted for 70% of all flowers bought on St. Valentine’s Day 2024.

(Finder)

Out of 54 million Americans who bought flowers for the holiday, some 38 million bought roses.

Some $7 billion was spent on jewelry for Valentine’s Day in the US in 2026.

(Statista)

The spending on jewelry gifts has increased drastically in recent years, and has grown by another 8% in a single year.

Men spent an average of $203 on gifts for Valentine’s Day 2024, while women spent $192.

(Lending Tree)

Funnily, men had higher expectations from their partners than women. While women expected their partners to spend an average of $134, men expected $201.

Americans spent $6.3 billion on Valentine's Day dinners in 2026.

(National Retail Federation)

The overall spending on evenings out during the holiday increased by $1.4 billion compared to 2024.

More than 173 million Americans went shopping for Valentine's in 2026.

(Capital One Shopping)

This represented some 55% of consumers in the country.

More than 38% of people celebrating the holiday opt for online shopping for Valentine’s Day.

(National Retail Foundation)

Online shopping is seeing record growth in recent years, and Valentine's is no different, as the percentage grew by 5% compared to 2023.

45% of Americans did not celebrate Valentine's Day in 2026.

(National Retail Federation)

The number has grown as participation rates shifted, though those who do celebrate are spending significantly more per person to reach record totals.

With an average spending of $262, millenials were the generation who spent the most on Valentine's in 2024.

(Lending Tree)

Gen Zers followed second with an average per-person spending of $202.

Parents with children younger than 18 spent an average of $275 on Valentine's in 2024.

(Lending Tree)

In contrast, parents with children 18 and older spent even less than adults without children last year, averaging at $83.

Fascinating Valentine’s Day Facts

Valentine’s Day has a rich history that spans centuries, cultures and continents. Celebrated every February 14, this festival of romance is made special by its many stories and customs. Here are just a few of those fascinating historical tidbits.

The first Valentine was sent in 1415.

In the 15th century, Charles, Duke of Orleans, became the first person to send a valentine. He penned a poem to his wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London. Sadly, Charles never got to know how his beloved reacted to the letter. He ended up spending 25 years behind bars, and she died sometime between 1430 and 1435.

There was more than one Saint Valentine.

The saint we celebrate on February 14 is St. Valentine of Rome who died around 270 A.D. However, there were multiple martyred saints that carried the same name.

The Latin word Valentinus which stands for worthy, strong or powerful was especially popular between the second and eighth century A.D., and in that time a dozen different people were named Valentine or some variation thereof. There was even a Pope Valentine, but little is known about him as he served only for 40 days around 827 A.D.

The first heart-shaped box of chocolates was introduced in 1861.

Richard Cadbury, son of the man who founded Cadbury Chocolate, was the first to start packing chocolates in heart-shaped boxes as a strategy to increase sales.

He decorated the boxes with drawings of his family and Alpine landscapes, which proved to be highly successful. Today, more than 36 million heart-shaped chocolate boxes are sold each year, amounting to some 58 million pounds of chocolate.

Around 6 million couples get engaged on Valentine's Day.

A more obvious piece of Valentine’s trivia is that this day is widely considered to be the most romantic time of the year. A notable percentage of men propose to their girlfriends on February 14.

Some people choose this day for its more traditional aspects, while others simply feel the most in love on Valentine’s. Whatever the reason, millions of people each year pop the question and get engaged on the day of love.

The phrase “wearing your heart on your sleeve” originated from a Valentine’s Day tradition.

One of the most interesting facts about Valentine’s Day takes us back to the Middle Ages when Emperor Claudius II declared marriage illegal. He believed that romantic attachments made his soldiers weaker.

Claudius instead encouraged temporary coupling, and for one week of the year, during a Roman festival honoring Juno, young men drew names to determine who their Valentine would be for the coming year. After choosing, the men would wear the names on their sleeves to show their bond.