Business Forum • 4 December, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Romanians are preparing for a holiday season with higher budgets compared to last year. According to a study by Raiffeisen Bank in partnership with Appinio, 65% of respondents expect higher Christmas spending in 2025, while approximately one in four Romanians (26%) estimate similar costs to 2024.
Half of respondents allocate between 25% and 50% of their total budget for gift purchases, with most mentioning they fall within the RON 500-1,000 range (€98 - €196) (41%) and RON 1,000-2,000 (€196 - €393) range (26%). To cover costs during this period, Romanians rely especially on existing resources. Savings set aside in advance represent the main source for 47% of respondents, followed by December salary (46%). Meanwhile, 18% use credit cards to manage holiday expenses.
When it comes to Christmas meal shopping, Romanians turn to supermarkets/hypermarkets (75%), online shopping (36%), and local producers or markets (nearly 30%). According to the survey, half of respondents plan to spend Christmas at home, alone or with family, 18% with relatives or friends, and only about 8% on holiday in Romanian resorts.
Regarding holiday preparations, 41% begin organising 2-4 weeks in advance, while one third (33%) start even a month earlier. During this period, Romanians focus especially on traditional activities marking the beginning of holidays: decorating the Christmas tree and house (78%), buying gifts (77%), and general cleaning (71%).
Asked what symbolic gift they would want from Santa Claus, besides health and luck, respondents most often mentioned money and peace. Preferred payment methods for Christmas purchases are debit cards (35%), cash (31%), and credit cards (20%). "The study data shows that Romanians are thinking more carefully about holiday budgets and prefer to rely on their own resources to cover expenses," said Mihail Ion, VP Retail at Raiffeisen Bank Romania.