The Spark

PNC Christmas Price Index up 5.4%


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For 41 years, the PNC Bank has calculated the prices of the 12 days from the popular Christmas song, “The 12 days of Christmas.” The Christmas Price Index was originally established as a fun way of interpreting economic data into the holiday season according to Jim Hoehn, PNC Regional President for Central Pa.

“And here, 41 years later, we still have that fun. And there are some very meaningful themes behind it. But more than anything else, it's a lighthearted way of looking at economic data as we all face the rushes, and a little bit of the pressure is the holiday season.”

The Consumer Price Index comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Christmas Price Index comes from investment economics group at PNC.

“Well, this year what we're looking at is that the overall cost of the 12 days of Christmas in terms of all of those gifts, if you were to add them up, is 5.4% higher than it was in 2023. Now, if we look at and this actually came out I think today, is that the annualized inflation rate as of today is 2.7%. So, while we think that inflation was really high a couple of years ago and you're hearing less and less about it, you know that that pesky inflation is still out there and this kind of corresponds. But actually, our gifts cost more in an inflation rate than the overall economy at this point.”

CLICK HERE to see how much the 12 items cost that my true love gave to me.

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