iN NUMBERS: British Columbians spending less on holidays, still more than national average

The holidays mean spending time with your loved ones, watching some classic movies and eating meals that fill you with nostalgia. But they also mean financial stress for a lot of people in B.C.

Surveys found that British Columbians spend more on the holidays than people in the rest of the country, but their spending is going down.

Here are the numbers:

• 1,821: Dollars. That’s how much British Columbians are planning to spend for the holidays, on average, a 14 per cent decrease compared to last year.
• 1,675: Dollars. That’s the national average for how much Canadians plan to spend on the holidays this year. 
• 21: Per cent of British Columbians scored high on the Financial Pressure Index which uses eight different variables to measure someone’s economic situation. 
• 35: Per cent of British Columbians said they are financially worse off now than they were last year. 
• 34: Per cent. That’s the decrease in Gen Z’s holiday budget compared to last year. 
• 22: Per cent of Canadians don’t plan on spending money at all this holiday season.
• 34: Per cent of Canadians said they have changed their traditions in recent years to save money. 
• 64: Per cent of Baby Boomers would pick a made-in Canada product, even if it’s more expensive than an imported alternative. 
• 90: Per cent of Canadians said they expect prices for everything to go up this holiday season.