Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Feb 24, 2026

How wealthy Americans are spending their money this holiday season

How wealthy Americans are spending their money this holiday season

Amid supply chain issues and inflation, the 2021 holiday spending of millionaires isn't shifting much compared to last year.

Despite supply chain disruptions and inflationary issues, retail trade groups and industry watchers are forecasting record levels of sales this holiday season.

But a majority of the millionaires (68%) surveyed in the CNBC Millionaire Survey said they will spend the same this holiday season as last year. Furthermore, the largest percentage of millionaires said they will spend less than $2,500 this holiday season, significantly lower than in 2019.

Here are some of the ways millionaires say they will be spending their money this holiday season.

Smaller sums


When it comes to how much millionaires expect to spend this holiday season, the largest percentage (29%) said they would spend between $1,000 and $2,499, slightly up from 28% last year but down from 34% in 2019.

Smaller sums — between $0-$499 and $500-$999 — saw slight decreases from 2020 but were still higher than what was recorded in 2019. For example, 26% of millionaires said they'd spend between $0-$499 this year, compared to 27% last year and 19% in 2019.

The percentage of people who said they were planning on spending over $25,000 increased one percentage point compared to last year to 4%, which is up from 2% in 2019.

Across the board, 68% of millionaires said they would be spending the same as last year, while 12% said they were spending less and 21% said they were spending more.

Of the millionaires that said they were going to be spending much more this year, at least 10% or more, 39% of those respondents were millennials.

Supply chain issues, inflation and spending


Inflation and supply chain issues have snarled holiday shopping, and millionaires say they are also feeling that crunch.

More than a quarter (28%) of millionaires said they would be giving more gift cards this year and less tangible gifts because of possible shortages and disruptions in the supply chain, while 33% said they were doing their holiday shopping sooner because of that.

Seven percent of millionaires said they will be giving less gifts this year due to inflation.

Twenty percent said they would be increasing their charitable contributions this year, while 7% said they would be increasing their spending and giving this year after having problems last year due to the pandemic.

Who the wealthy are spending on


Perhaps unsurprisingly, the age of the millionaire drastically impacts who they plan to spend the most on this holiday season.

For millennial millionaires, 32% said they'd spend the most on their children, 26% said they'd spend the most on their spouse, and 19% said they'd spend the most on themselves.

In comparison, 27% of baby boomer millionaires said they'd spend the most on their grandchildren, 24% on their children, 24% on their spouse and 3% on themselves.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
GCC Secretary-General Holds Talks with EU Ambassador in Riyadh
Gulf States’ AI Investment Drive Seen as Strategic Bet on Technology and U.S. Security Ties
African Union Commission Chair Meets Saudi Vice Foreign Minister to Deepen Strategic Cooperation
President El-Sisi Holds Strategic Talks with Saudi Crown Prince in Riyadh
Lucid Unveils Up to $12,000 Incentive for Air and Gravity Models in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Enters Global AI Partnership, Expanding Its Role in International Technology Governance
Saudi Arabia’s Landmark U.S. LNG Agreement Signals Major Strategic Shift
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Global Gaming Push with Billion-Dollar Deals and Expanded PIF Mandate
Saudi Arabia Reports $25.28 Billion Budget Deficit in Fourth Quarter of 2025
Alvarez & Marsal Tax Establishes Dedicated Pillar Two and Transfer Pricing Team in Saudi Arabia
United States Approves Over Fifteen Billion Dollars in Major Arms Sales to Israel and Saudi Arabia
Pre-Iftar Walks Gain Momentum as Ramadan Wellness Trend Spreads
Middle East Jackup Rig Fleet Contracts Further After Saudi Drilling Suspensions
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Prepare to Sign Five Gigawatt Renewable Energy Deal at COP31
King Mohammed VI Congratulates Saudi Leadership on Founding Day, Reaffirming Strategic Ties
US Envoy Huckabee Clarifies Remarks on Israel After Expansionism Controversy
Saudi Arabia Introduces Limited Exceptions to Regional Headquarters Requirement for Foreign Firms
Saudi Arabia Joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, Elevating Its Role in Shaping AI Governance
Saudi Arabia and Arab States Mobilise Diplomatically After U.S. Envoy’s Israel Remarks
Cristiano Ronaldo Reaffirms His Commitment to Saudi Arabia Amid Transfer Speculation
Proposed US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Raises Questions Over Uranium Enrichment Provisions
Saudi Arabia Sends 81st Aid Flight to Gaza as Humanitarian Air Bridge Continues
Global Games Show Riyadh 2026 Positioned as Catalyst for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia Eases Procurement Rules, Allowing Foreign Firms Greater Access to Government Contracts
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Seal Two Billion Dollar Solar Energy Agreement
Saudi Crown Prince Reportedly Sends Letter to UAE Leader Over Yemen and Sudan Policies
Saudi Arabia Voices Concerns to UAE Over Sudan Conflict and Yemen Strategy
Saudi Arabia Joins Global Artificial Intelligence Alliance to Strengthen International Collaboration
Shura Island Positioned as Flagship of Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Red Sea Tourism Drive
Saudi Arabia Rebukes Mike Huckabee Over Remarks in Tucker Carlson Interview
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praises the rapid progress of Chinese tech companies.
Concerns Mount Over Potential Saudi Uranium Enrichment in Prospective US Nuclear Accord
Trump Directs Government to Release UFO and Alien Information
Trump Signs Global 10% Tariffs on Imports
Investability Emerges as the Defining Test of Saudi Arabia’s Next Market Phase
Saudi Arabia’s Packaging Market Accelerates as Sustainability and E-Commerce Drive Transformation
Saudi Arabia Unveils $32 Billion Push Into Theme Parks and Global Entertainment
Saudi Crude Exports to India Climb Sharply, Closing Gap With Russia
Saudi Arabia’s Halal Cosmetics Market Expands as Faith and Ethical Beauty Drive Growth
ImmunityBio Secures Saudi Partnerships to Launch Flagship Cancer Therapy
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Launch Expanded Renewable Energy Partnership
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
Mongolian Mining Family’s HK$247 Million Stanley Home Purchase Highlights Resilient Luxury Market
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
×