Valentine’s Day is experiencing a slight decline in popularity but remains a key commercial event. The latest data collected from various markets highlights the importance of the issues surrounding February 14th.
Commercial celebration or lovers’ holiday? The debate resurfaces every year. What about Valentine’s Day figures? More than $25.8 billion was spent in the United States in 2024 for February 14, compared to around €13 billion in France. Based on the market research studies we carry out throughout the year in the retail sector, and the latest figures related to February 14, we offer you a factual and quantified analysis of the Valentine’s Day market. As you will see, it is a market under pressure but resilient thanks to rising spending. This year, in addition to French and American figures, we add those from the German market.
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Some figures on Valentine’s Day
- 53%: share of Americans celebrating Valentine’s Day in 2024, compared to more than 60% at the end of the 2000s
- $25.8 billion: total spending related to Valentine’s Day in the United States in 2024, compared to $25.9 billion in 2023 and $23.9 billion in 2022
- $27.4 billion: historical peak in spending in the United States reached in 2020
- 34%: share of French people declaring they celebrate Valentine’s Day in 2023, compared to 36% in 2022
- 60%: share of French people in a relationship who celebrate Valentine’s Day
- 80%: share of French people considering Valentine’s Day as a commercial holiday
- €114: average budget devoted to Valentine’s Day in France in 2022
- €142: average budget devoted to Valentine’s Day in France in 2023, i.e. +€28 in one year and +€40 compared to 2021
- 52%: share of French people wishing to go to a restaurant for Valentine’s Day in 2023, i.e. +7 points in one year
- 20%: share of French people preferring to receive a trip or getaway rather than a material gift
- €1.3 billion: spending planned for Valentine’s Day in Germany in 2025, compared to around €1 billion in 2020
- 28%: share of German consumers planning to buy a gift in 2025, compared to nearly 17% in 2020
- 15%: share of German consumers declaring that Valentine’s Day is very important to them
- 39%: share of Americans celebrating Valentine’s Day buying flowers in 2024
- 54 million: number of Americans buying flowers for Valentine’s Day
Fewer participants but more spending
Valentine’s Day is losing popularity in recent years, but spending is increasing for lovers who still take part (probably due to inflation). Result: Valentine’s Day revenue is holding up well.
In the United States, the proportion of people declaring they celebrate Valentine’s Day has been gradually declining since the end of the 2000s. It went from a level above 62% to around 53% in 2024. A drop of nearly 10 points that could worry retailers. Yet total spending remains remarkably stable. After reaching $27.4 billion in 2020, it certainly fell to $21.8 billion in 2021 – pandemic effect required – before gradually rising: $23.9 billion in 2022, $25.9 billion in 2023 and $25.8 billion in 2024.
France is not escaping this polarisation. The share of French people declaring they celebrate Valentine’s Day fell from 36% in 2022 to 34% in 2023. At the same time, nearly 80% of the population continues to perceive this date primarily as a commercial holiday. A revealing paradox: we criticise but we still participate.
This trajectory confirms a fundamental transformation: the economic value of February 14 now relies more on the intensity of spending per buyer than on the generalisation of the celebration. In short, those who play the game pay the price.
Upscaling for Valentine’s Day in France
On the French side, the contraction in the number of Valentine’s Day participants is accompanied by rising budgets. The average budget devoted to Valentine’s Day gifts has literally exploded in recent years. From €102 in 2021, it rose to €114 in 2022 (+€12), then to €142 in 2023 (+€28 more). This represents an increase of €40 in just 2 years.
This upscaling reflects a repositioning of Valentine’s Day as a more engaged consumption moment, reserved for a more involved fraction of the population. Among couples, 60% still declare they celebrate this holiday. It therefore remains strongly anchored in the conjugal sphere, even if its overall audience is eroding.
The 2025 data confirm this trend with an average budget of €154 for French people who plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day with their partner, i.e. €12 more than in 2023. This constant progression perfectly illustrates the upscaling strategy adopted by French consumers.
Gifts that are diversifying
Gone are the days when Valentine’s Day was summed up in the trio flowers-chocolates-jewellery. The structure of spending reveals a growing diversification of gifts offered. In France, if flowers still concentrated 22% of purchase intentions in 2022, ahead of perfume (19%) and chocolates (13%), the situation quickly evolved.
From 2023, jewellery regains a central place, in line with rising budgets. But above all, experiences are gaining ground:
- 52% of people wishing to celebrate Valentine’s Day declare they want to go to a restaurant (+7 points compared to 2022)
- 20% prefer to receive a trip or getaway.
In 2024, this diversification intensifies further:
- 26% of buyers opt for clothing or accessories
- 22% for food and drinks
- 18% for chocolates and confectionery
- 17% for beauty
- 16% for cultural-leisure products
- 15% for home, kitchen or garden items.
This evolution reflects a more personalised approach to Valentine’s Day gifts, where attention to the partner’s specific tastes takes precedence over traditional conventions.
In the table below, we have compiled the evolution of purchase intentions by category for Valentine’s Day in the United States.
| Year | Sweets | Greeting cards | Flowers | Going out / party | Jewelry | Gift cards | Clothing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 49% | 51% | 37% | 37% | 19% | 14% | 16% |
| 2015 | 48% | 63% | 37% | 45% | 18% | 11% | 12% |
| 2016 | 50% | 48% | 36% | 38% | 20% | 15% | 17% |
| 2017 | 50% | 47% | 35% | 37% | 19% | 16% | 19% |
| 2018 | 55% | 46% | 36% | 35% | 19% | 15% | 17% |
| 2019 | 52% | 44% | 35% | 34% | 18% | 15% | 18% |
| 2020 | 52% | 43% | 37% | 34% | 21% | 19% | 20% |
| 2021 | 54% | 44% | 36% | 24% | 18% | 21% | 20% |
| 2022 | 56% | 40% | 37% | 31% | 22% | n.c. | n.c. |
| 2023 | 57% | 40% | 37% | 32% | 21% | 20% | 19% |
| 2024 | 57% | 40% | 39% | 32% | 22% | 19% | 21% |
Jewellery is popular
Contrary to popular belief, the jewellery market for Valentine’s Day is booming. In France, the share of people declaring they never offer jewellery fell from 36% in 2022 to 29% in 2023. In other words, there is renewed interest in this category in a context of rising budgets.
The most considered brands evolve significantly between 2021 and 2023. The brand “Histoire d’Or” reaches 31% in 2023 after a decline to 25% in 2022, while the brand “Le Manège à Bijoux”, positioned on accessibility, progresses from 17% to 23% over the same period (+6 points). This dynamic reflects a search for balance between symbolic value, notoriety and budget control.
In the United States, Valentine’s Day remains the star holiday of the beginning of the year for jewellers, with a 79% increase in sales compared to the first quarter average. Heart variations represent more than half of the jewellery concerned, confirming attachment to traditional symbols of love.
Men – women: different purchasing behaviours
Differences between sexes in Valentine’s Day purchasing behaviours reveal fascinating patterns. In France, 65% of men declare making a purchase compared to 53% of women. Even more surprising: the average male basket reaches €150 compared to €100 for women.
Preferences also differ. Men favour jewellery, perfume and flowers – a rather classic trio. Women turn more towards clothing, perfume and watches, revealing a more practical and personalised approach.
Purchase timing also betrays behavioural differences: 30% of male purchases are made on the day itself, compared to 20% for women. This statistic highlights the still very impulsive nature of some male behaviours facing this deadline.
Across the Atlantic, the gaps are confirmed: 68% of men buy a gift for Valentine’s Day compared to 60% of women. Even more surprising, 20% of men declare buying gifts for several partners, compared to only 6% of women. A figure that says a lot about differences in relational approach!
65% of men declare making a purchase compared to 53% of women. The average male basket reaches €150 compared to €100 for women.
Generations and purchase channels: the digital revolution underway
Generational differences profoundly mark Valentine’s Day purchasing habits. In the United States, around 20% of generations Z, Y and X declare buying a gift, compared to less than 3% of Baby Boomers. A gap that illustrates the evolution of mentalities facing this commercial holiday.
Purchase channels confirm this growing hybridisation of journeys. In the United States, more than 35% of purchases are made online via a major e-commerce platform, a proportion equivalent to that observed in store. Generations Z and Y make 45% of their purchases on this platform, compared to 40% for generation X, while 60% of Baby Boomers still prefer the physical store.
In France, the point of sale remains the most powerful lever, with an index of 167, ahead of social networks at 135 and streaming platforms at 129. This data confirms the central role of physical experience in an emotional purchase context like Valentine’s Day.
Rose inflation: when love costs more
Figures related to flowers perfectly illustrate the combined effect of tradition and inflation. In the United States, 39% of people celebrating Valentine’s Day bought flowers in 2024, i.e. around 54 million consumers. Among them, 70% opt for roses (I did the calculation, that’s 38 million people).
Valentine’s Day rose revenue reached $2.9 billion in 2024, compared to $2.09 billion in 2020 and $2.63 billion in 2022. This increase is partly explained by the rise in the average price of a dozen roses, which went from around $60 in 2014 to more than $75 in 2024, after a low point around $41 in 2018. Thank you inflation!
In France, flowers remain just as central in the Valentine’s Day economy. With 600 million roses sold, they represent 80% of florists’ revenue related to this single day. A figure that confirms the economic importance of this holiday for an entire profession.
Europe follows the movement
This dynamic of concentration and upscaling is not limited to the Franco-American duo. In Germany, spending planned for Valentine’s Day reaches €1.3 billion in 2025, compared to around €1 billion in 2020. At the same time, the share of people planning to buy a gift progresses from nearly 17% to 28% over the same period.
Yet only 15% of German consumers declare that Valentine’s Day is very important to them, while 81% attribute little or no importance to it. This gap between symbolic perception and purchasing behaviour perfectly illustrates the ongoing transformation: Valentine’s Day is becoming a consumption ritual disconnected from its emotional adherence.
The new economic model of Valentine’s Day
The accumulation of this data outlines a Valentine’s Day in full mutation. Less universal but more financially invested, it now relies on rising budgets, increased diversification of gifts, marked inflation on certain emblematic products like flowers and hybridisation of purchase journeys.
This trajectory, observed convergently in France, the United States and Germany, reflects a structural transformation of mature markets. The value of February 14 lies less in collective adherence than in the intensity of the economic and emotional engagement of consumers who still choose to celebrate it.
For companies, this evolution requires rethinking their strategies. Gone are mass approaches, make way for personalisation and upscaling. Valentine’s Day 2025 consumers are fewer but more demanding, more connected but still attached to physical experience, more critical but paradoxically more spendthrift.
Frequently asked questions about the Valentine’s Day economy
Why is the Valentine’s Day budget increasing when fewer people celebrate it?
We can say that it is the consequence of market polarisation. People who continue to celebrate Valentine’s Day are increasingly invested emotionally and financially. They compensate for the drop in the number of participants with higher spending. In France, the average went from €102 in 2021 to €154 in 2025, i.e. a 50% increase in four years.
Do flowers remain the essential gift?
Despite the diversification of gifts, flowers retain their emblematic status. In the United States, 39% of celebrants buy flowers, and in France, 80% of florists’ annual revenue is concentrated on this single day. However, their price has increased considerably: +25% in ten years for a dozen roses in the United States.
Is there a difference in Valentine’s Day purchases between men and women?
The statistics are eloquent! In France, 65% of men make a purchase compared to 53% of women, with an average basket of €150 for men compared to €100 for women. Even more revealing: 30% of men buy on the day itself compared to 20% of women. Men favour jewellery, perfumes and flowers, while women opt for clothing, perfumes and watches.
Has e-commerce changed Valentine’s Day purchases?
The revolution is underway but not complete. In the United States, 35% of purchases are made online, as much as in store. Young generations (Z and Y) make 45% of their purchases on digital platforms, compared to 60% of Baby Boomers who remain faithful to the physical store. In France, the point of sale retains an advantage with an influence index of 167 compared to 135 for social networks.
Has Valentine’s Day become a purely commercial holiday?
It is more nuanced than that! Certainly, 80% of French people perceive Valentine’s Day as a commercial holiday, but 60% of couples continue to celebrate it. This apparent contradiction reveals an evolution: we can criticise the commercial aspect while participating in the ritual. The holiday has transformed into an assumed consumption moment, where the act of purchase itself becomes an expression of love.
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