The PNC Christmas Price Index for this year:
Total Christmas Price Index (CPI)
Even with its small basket of goods and services, the PNC Christmas Price Index is not immune to the rising costs in the broader U.S. economy, as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index.
$51,476.12 (+4.5%)
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True Cost of Christmas in Song
$218,542.98 (+4.4%)
This represents the total cost of all the gifts bestowed by True Love when you count each repetition of the song, totaling 364 presents. Spreading cheer throughout the year in 2025 costs 4.4% more than in 2024.
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"Core" Index (Excluding Swans)$38,351.12 (+6.1%)
This version of the CPI removes the most volatile gift from the index - the Swans-a-Swimming.
The most expensive gift in "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is the Ten Lords A-Leaping, at $16,836.14. The sharpest rise in cost this year, percentagewise, was the Five Golden Rings, at a ringing 32.5%.
Since 1984, the U. S. Consumer Price Index has increased 223%, while the PNC Christmas Price Index has increased 157%. The two have tended to rise together, more or less, but, of course, the Christmas Price Index is weighted very heavily toward entertainment services, and also birds.
