This year, Yettel conducted its nationwide representative survey examining Hungarians’ Christmas communication and gifting habits for the sixth time[1]. Compared to last year, fewer people plan to spend Christmas with extended family and relatives, while slightly more said they will celebrate in a smaller family circle. The number of people planning to spend Christmas alone has also risen slightly this year. For those they won’t meet in person during the holidays, respondents mainly keep in touch via mobile calls or messaging apps.
This is how we’ll spend this year
Half of Hungarians have already started or plan to start their gift shopping in November, while a third schedule it for the first half of December. The five-year upward trend in gift budgets has broken: when asked how much their family will spend on Christmas gifts this year, respondents reported an average of HUF 75,000, which is slightly below last year’s HUF 77,000 in real terms. The proportion of those planning to spend more has decreased. In addition, 45% of families plan to spend less than HUF 50,000, and only two out of ten respondents will exceed HUF 100,000. Compared to last year, the share of those who do not plan to buy any gifts at all has also increased. 33% claim they never buy Christmas gifts, while 25% decided not to due to changes in their financial situation.
The average number of people they want to give gifts to has also declined, from 5.8 last year to 5.4 this year. Fewer people plan to buy gifts for their partners or parents, but a higher proportion plan to give gifts to children and grandchildren. People under 30 and women expect to give gifts to more recipients than older people or men. Respondents most often want to surprise their partner or spouse (59%), followed by their children (55%) and parents (48%). Compared to last year, fewer people will give gifts to more distant relatives, but one in five also plan to gift their friends.
Practical gifts take centre stage
The most popular product categories have not changed compared to previous years. Most people continue to surprise their loved ones with clothing (46%), toys (39%), and electronics (34%). According to this year’s data from the Central Statistical Office (KSH) of Hungary, these categories have become slightly more expensive than last year, though less than the rate of inflation, meaning that this year’s Christmas budget will cover fewer gifts than last year. The survey data suggest that practicality has become more important: compared to 2024, more people are buying clothing (46% vs. 40%), while fewer are spending on experience-based gifts (16% vs. 22%). The most popular electronic items are headphones/earphones (27%) and smartphones (27%), followed by smartwatches (23%), gaming consoles and games (19%), and phone accessories (19%).
When buying gifts, the most important factors are that they are personalised (58%), useful (47%), and reasonably priced (35%). Compared to last year, the importance of choosing unique gifts (23% vs. 17%) and sustainable gifts (10% vs. 6%) has increased – the latter is especially significant for the 18 to 29 age group. Interestingly, while the majority of respondents (56%) prefer receiving a surprise rather than a pre-agreed gift, they also appreciate knowing in advance what the recipient would like to receive (55%).
How we save on surprises – choosing wisely could cover a whole year’s Christmas budget
The survey also explored the challenges Hungarians face during the holiday season. Four out of ten respondents said choosing the right gift is the biggest difficulty, while three out of ten cited Christmas-related expenses as their main concern. One in five respondents also find it difficult not exceed their planned budget. Among women and those in their thirties, lack of time for holiday preparations is a more common source of challenge.
The survey also looked at which expenses Hungarians are willing to cut back on at Christmas. Most people would cut back on spending for entertainment, such as movies or concerts (37%), as well as on Christmas decorations (29%) and travel or holidays (29%). One in five respondents would also save on Christmas sweets, baked goods, gifts, and even the Christmas tree, while a quarter said they might cut back on other, non-holiday expenses as well. In contrast, only one in ten are considering rethinking their regular monthly spending.
Yet these are exactly the areas where part of the Christmas spending could be saved. According to Yettel’s data, customers can save an average of nearly 100,000 forints per year with the flexible Full package, which combines mobile, home internet, TV, and streaming services. The package offers the advantage of being freely expandable, it is available without a commitment period, and allows new services to be added at any time, providing monthly savings of up to 30%. The money saved can then be used to top up the Christmas budget or even go toward travel and holiday expenses.
[1] The survey was conducted on a sample of 1,000 people between 15 and 27 October 2025. The sample is representative of the Hungarian population aged 18-69 by gender, age, region and type of settlement (Impetus research).