How much would the gifts from the 12 Days of Christmas cost in 2023? The PNC Christmas Price Index is back with some cheer — or, perhaps, a bit of a grim reminder of inflation.
It’s a whopping $47,000 to get all the gifts listed in the classic holiday song. That’s a hefty increase over last year’s $46,319. But at least it’s not as bad as the overall consumer index, which is up by 3.2% in the last 12 months.
Now, let’s talk about these gifts. Some went up more than others. The most volatile gift this year is the Two Turtle Doves, which cost $750. That’s quite a leap from last year’s price of $600. They’re pretty special, you see, and apparently quite rare. True Loves wishing to give gifts based on the song, may want to cut down to one turtle dove this year.
The first gift, the Partridge in a Pear Tree, also saw a significant increase. It’s now $1,394, up from last year’s price of $1,265.
But the most expensive gifts this year are the Ten Lords-a-Leaping and the Seven Swans-a-Swimming. They’re the most expensive gifts in the index, and the Lords have managed to stay on top for another year. In case you were wondering, 10 leaping lords would run you about $14,539, and the swans cost about $13,125.
Other gifts have stayed pretty stable. The Four Calling Birds and the Eight Maids-a-Milking remained unchanged, as did the Six Geese-a-Laying. But some gifts saw a bit more inflation. The Nine Ladies Dancing, the Eleven Pipers Piping, and the Twelve Drummers Drumming all saw increases of at least 4%.
Then there’s the cost of getting all these gifts online. It’s nearly 5% more expensive than buying them all in person. That’s because of increased shipping and packaging costs, which reflect the e-commerce boom of the pandemic years.
