Valentine’s Day in Singapore: expectations vs. reality

Picodi.com checked the type of gifts Singaporeans would like to receive on Valentine’s Day, how much money they are willing to spend and if their gifts suit the taste of their partners.

Valentine’s Day is very popular in Singapore: 63% of Singaporeans surveyed said they celebrate Valentine’s Day and 6% less said that they will give something to their partner. It probably means that for some people spending time together is more important than Valentine’s Day financial aspect.

What are Singaporeans going to buy as a gift? Among the men surveyed, the most popular answers were dinner at a restaurant (32%), flowers (21%) and Valentine’s Day cards. Women on the other hand said they are going to buy dinner at a restaurant (31%), food on delivery (25%) sweets (17%).

We also asked what gifts Singaporeans expect to get from their significant others and according to women, the most expected gifts were dinner at a restaurant (56%), flowers (34%), money (31%), tickets to the cinema or concert (25%) and jewellery (24%). As for men, the most expected option was dinner at a restaurant (53%), Valentine’s Day card (26%) and gift cards (21%). 18% wouldn’t mind getting tickets to the cinema or concert, and 15% expected electronics.

The worst Valentine’s Day gifts according to women are teddy bears (31%), books (28%), sex toys (27%), board games (20%) and flowers (15%). Among men, sex toys (32%) and underwear (19%) were chosen as the least wanted.

Valentine’s Day in other countries

We also looked into the financial side of Valentine’s Day. On average, we spend S$86 on Valentine’s Day gifts in Singapore, with men spending 21% more than women (S$95 vs. S$79).

Among the countries researched, the highest amounts are spent in Hong Kong (US$124), the United Kingdom (US$117), Ireland (US$112), and the United States (US$106). Singapore is placed 15th in the ranking (US$65).

In 2021 in Singapore, the most frequently chosen gift is dinner at a restaurant. Australian men usually choose flowers, while women choose electronics. In Hong Kong, men give mostly cards on Valentine’s Day and receive clothes from women.

Want to prepare a romantic dinner for your significant other? Or maybe order some food and enjoy a movie night? Regardless of your plans, Picodi will help you save money with cashback and discount codes offered in shops such as foodpanda, Shopee and Lazada.

Methodology

This report is based on results of a survey among over 11,000 people from 38 selected countries where Valentine’s Day is celebrated. For currency conversion, we used the average exchange rate for January 2021.

Public Use

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