Christmas Stress and Loneliness Statistics 2026: 50 Facts

The holidays are meant to be the happiest time of the year. For many Americans they are also the most tiring, the most expensive and sometimes the loneliest.

Surveys show that stress and loneliness are common, not rare. Talking about them openly is a good first step.

This page collects the most reliable recent numbers on holiday stress, money worries, family tension, loneliness and mental health. Every figure links to its source. The lighter side of the season, from movies to eggnog, is in our Christmas statistics.

How stressful the holidays are for Americans

1. 41% expected more stress in 2025

In a poll of 2,203 adults in early November 2025, 41% of Americans said they expected more holiday stress than the year before. That compares with 28% in 2024 and 29% in 2023.¹

2. Younger adults feel it most

Among 18 to 34 year olds, 49% expected more holiday stress in 2025. Among adults 65 and older, the share was 27%.¹

3. More people say the holidays help their mental health

In 2025, 44% said the holidays have a positive effect on their mental health, up from 38% in 2024 and 2023. One in five (21%) reported a negative effect.¹

4. In 2021, stress rose for 41% and fell for 7%

A November 2021 poll of 2,119 adults found that 41% said their stress goes up during the holidays rather than down. Only 7% said it goes down.⁴

5. 57% find the season stressful

In a LifeStance Health survey of 1,023 adults in October 2025, 57% said they find the holiday season stressful.⁵

6. Nearly seven in ten feel pressure to look happy

In the same survey, 69% said they feel at least a little pressure to appear happier than they are during the holidays.⁵

7. Three in four say gatherings feel obligatory

LifeStance found that 75% of respondents say holiday gatherings feel like an obligation, and 64% would skip some of them if they could.⁵

8. The Gallup baseline: 38% called it stressful

In a Gallup poll from November 2006, 38% of Americans called the holidays very or somewhat stressful, and 42% said they felt more stress than at other times of the year.⁶ It is an older reading, but it shows the pattern is not new.

What causes holiday stress

9. Grief is the top worry

In 2025, missing someone or grieving a loss was the most common holiday worry (48%). It was followed by affording or finding gifts (46%), challenging family dynamics (32%) and loneliness (31%).¹

10. Half feel stressed about spending

In a YouGov survey of 1,135 US adults in December 2024, 50% said spending money causes holiday stress or anxiety. 44% named missing loved ones, 43% crowds and traffic and 40% shopping for gifts.⁷ Whether those gifts are even wanted is the topic of our unwanted Christmas gifts statistics.

11. Weather and short days weigh on people too

In the same YouGov survey, 37% named winter weather and 36% named shorter days and lack of sunlight as sources of holiday stress.⁷ How often the weather brings snow on the day itself is covered in our white Christmas statistics.

12. Women carry more of the load

YouGov found that women were more likely than men to feel holiday stress about shopping for gifts (48% vs. 32%), cooking and cleaning (41% vs. 21%) and missing loved ones (51% vs. 36%).⁷

13. 48% say expectations are too high

Asked about holiday expectations, 48% of Americans said they are too high, 34% said they are about right and 6% said they are not high enough.⁷

14. Gratitude and stress exist side by side

The same YouGov respondents also said they always or usually feel grateful (73%), loved (64%) and happy (61%) during the holidays.⁷

15. One in three worries about family relations

In Ipsos's Consumer Tracker of October 2025, 32% said they were worried about managing family relations over the holidays.⁸

16. Politics at the table worries 23%

In November 2024, 23% of adults worried about discussing politics or current events with family. The share was 30% among Democrats, 21% among Republicans and 17% among independents.⁹

Money worries and holiday debt

17. Young adults worry most about affording gifts

In November 2024, 54% of 18 to 34 year olds were worried about affording holiday gifts, compared with 38% of adults 65 and older.⁹

18. The average holiday budget is $890

In the NRF survey of 8,247 adults in October 2025, consumers planned to spend $890.49 on average on gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items. That is the second highest figure in the survey's 23 years.¹⁰

19. 85% expect tariffs to raise prices

In the same NRF survey, 85% of shoppers said they expected higher prices because of tariffs.¹⁰

20. Planned spending is down 10%

Deloitte's 2025 survey of 4,270 consumers found that people planned to spend $1,595 on average, down 10% from the year before.¹¹

21. Pessimism about the economy hit a record

In the same Deloitte survey, 57% expected the economy to weaken in 2026, the least optimistic outlook since Deloitte began tracking it in 1997. 56% were concerned about a recession within six months.¹¹

22. Most shoppers plan to trade down

Deloitte also found that 89% planned to look for deals, 77% to trade down on brands or retailers and 49% to make DIY gifts.¹¹

23. Only 24% plan to budget

In a Bankrate survey of 2,567 adults in July 2025, 41% worried that gifts would cost more, but only 24% planned to budget for holiday spending.¹²

24. More than one in four may borrow

Bankrate found that 27% felt stressed about holiday shopping costs, and 28% said they might take on debt through credit cards or buy now, pay later.¹²

25. 36% still carried last year's holiday balance

In a November 2025 Consolidated Credit survey, 36% of respondents were still carrying balances from the 2024 holidays. 69% had used credit cards for holiday expenses and 20% buy now, pay later.¹³

26. 19% feel very or extremely stressed about holiday debt

In the same survey, 19% said they felt very or extremely stressed about holiday related debt, and another 39% felt slightly or moderately stressed.¹³

Loneliness in America

27. Half or more feel disconnected

In APA's Stress in America survey of 3,199 adults in August 2025, 54% said they had felt isolated often or some of the time. 50% had felt left out and 50% had lacked companionship.²

28. 69% needed more emotional support

In 2025, 69% of adults said they could have used more emotional support in the past year than they received, up from 65% in 2024.²

29. Loneliness and low mood go together

Among adults with high loneliness, 65% reported feeling depressed or sad in the past month, against 15% of those with low loneliness. 94% of the high loneliness group reported at least one physical symptom of stress.²

30. One in five felt lonely a lot of the day

In Gallup data from August and September 2024, 20% of US adults said they felt lonely "a lot of the day yesterday". Gallup puts that at about 52 million people. The pandemic peak was 25%.¹⁴

31. 40% of adults 45 and older are lonely

AARP's August 2025 survey of 3,276 adults found that 40% of those 45 and older are lonely, up from 35% in 2018 and 2010.³

32. Midlife is lonelier than later life

In the AARP study, 46% of adults 45 to 59 said they were lonely, compared with 35% of those 60 and older.³

33. Men have caught up

In 2025, 42% of men and 37% of women 45 and older were lonely. In 2018, the figures were 34% of men and 36% of women.³

34. Shrinking friend circles

Among lonely adults, 45% said they had fewer friends than five years earlier, compared with 29% of all adults 45 and older.³

35. A third of adults 50 to 80 feel lonely

The University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging found that 33% of adults 50 to 80 felt lonely at least some of the time in early 2024, and 29% felt isolated.¹⁵

Living alone and spending time alone

36. Almost three in ten households have one person

In 2024, there were 38.5 million one-person households in the United States, 29% of all households. In 1974, the share was 19%.¹⁶

37. Older adults spend about seven hours a day alone

Pew Research Center, using American Time Use Survey data from 2014 to 2017, found that Americans 60 and older spend about seven hours a day alone. For those who live alone, it is more than 10 hours.¹⁷

38. 14% of older Americans spend the whole day alone

In the same analysis, 14% of Americans 60 and older spent all of their measured daily time alone, compared with 8% of those under 60.¹⁷

39. Millions face a solo Christmas morning

A late 2025 survey of 3,000 adults who live alone, by A Mission for Michael, extrapolated to about 14 million Americans spending Christmas alone.¹⁸ It is an industry survey and an estimate, not a census count.

40. Distance and conflict are the main reasons

In that survey, 29% said they live too far away to travel, 20% cited family conflict and 17% cited travel costs. 16% said they prefer to spend the day alone.¹⁸

41. Nearly one in three felt lonely over the holidays

In a 2017 AARP Foundation survey of 1,005 adults, 31% said they had felt lonely during the holiday season at some point in the previous five years. 41% had worried about a family member or friend feeling lonesome.¹⁹

42. One in two feels lonely even with company

In the 2025 LifeStance survey, 51% said they feel lonely around the holidays even when they are with loved ones.⁵

Mental health, helplines and myths

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, or chat online through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It is free, confidential and open around the clock.

43. December has the lowest suicide rate of the year

In 2024, the last full year of CDC data available, December had the lowest average daily suicide rate of any month. July and August had the highest.²⁰

44. Four in five believe the opposite

In a 2023 nationally representative survey, 4 out of 5 adults wrongly picked December as the month with the most suicides.²⁰

45. The myth still appears in the news

Over the 2024 to 2025 holiday season, the Annenberg Public Policy Center counted 19 news stories repeating the holiday suicide myth and 82 debunking it. 80 of the debunking stories were reprints of one column.²⁰

46. Few people know the crisis number by heart

In an August 2025 panel survey, 12% could recall the 988 number without a prompt, up from 8% in January 2023.²⁰

47. About 4 million contacts in the first year

In its first year, from July 2022 to May 2023, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline received about 4 million contacts: more than 2.6 million calls, 740,000 chats and 600,000 texts.²¹ You can call or text 988 at any time.

48. Winter mood changes are common

In a CivicScience survey of 3,000 people, more than a quarter reported seasonal affective disorder to some extent. 8% had a medical diagnosis and 21% reported it without one.²²

Work and burnout at year end

49. 55% of workers report burnout

In a November 2025 Ipsos survey of more than 1,400 full-time US employees for Eagle Hill Consulting, 55% said they were experiencing burnout.²³

50. Younger workers are hit hardest

Burnout was reported by 66% of Gen Z, 58% of Millennials, 53% of Gen X and 37% of Baby Boomers.²³

What the numbers mean for businesses

Three points stand out for employers and brands. First, the stress is real but so is the wish for a good season: more people now say the holidays help their mental health than a few years ago. Second, money worry is the most practical stressor, so small, free gestures land well. Third, loneliness peaks in people who are easy to overlook, from remote staff to older customers. More on spending in our Christmas spending statistics and on work in our workplace Christmas statistics.

Ideas for small, no pressure gestures are collected on our pages for employees, customers and businesses.

My take

Frequently asked questions

How many Americans feel stressed at Christmas?

In a November 2025 poll, 41% of Americans expected more holiday stress than the year before (American Psychiatric Association). A LifeStance Health survey in October 2025 found that 57% find the holiday season stressful.

What is the biggest cause of holiday stress?

It depends on how the question is asked. In 2025, grief or missing a loved one led (48%), followed by affording or finding gifts (46%). In a December 2024 YouGov survey, spending money came first (50%).

How many Americans feel lonely during the holidays?

In the 2025 LifeStance survey, 51% said they feel lonely around the holidays even when with loved ones. Across the year, 54% of adults feel isolated at least some of the time (APA, 2025).

Do suicides rise at Christmas?

No. CDC data show that December had the lowest average daily suicide rate of any month in 2024, according to the Annenberg Public Policy Center. The belief that rates rise is a persistent myth.

How many older Americans are lonely?

AARP found in 2025 that 40% of adults 45 and older are lonely. A University of Michigan poll in 2024 found that 33% of adults 50 to 80 felt lonely at least some of the time.

How many people live alone in the United States?

The Census Bureau counted 38.5 million one-person households in 2024, which is 29% of all US households.

Where can I use these statistics?

You are welcome to quote them in articles, reports, newsletters and presentations. Please link to this page as the source.

Sources

1. 1American Psychiatric Association, Healthy Minds holiday poll 2025 (psychiatry.org)
2. 2American Psychological Association, Stress in America 2025 (apa.org)
3. 3AARP, Loneliness and social connections research 2025 (aarp.org)
4. 4American Psychiatric Association, Holiday mental health poll 2021 (psychiatry.org)
5. 5LifeStance Health, Holiday mental health survey 2025 (press release) (stocktitan.net)
6. 6Gallup, Christmas shopping and holiday stress 2006 (gallup.com)
7. 7YouGov US, Holiday expectations and stressors 2024 (yougov.com)
8. 8Ipsos US, Consumer Tracker on the holidays 2025 (ipsos.com)
9. 9American Psychiatric Association, Healthy Minds holiday poll 2024 (psychiatry.org)
10. 10National Retail Federation, Holiday survey 2025 (nrf.com)
11. 11Deloitte, Holiday Retail Survey 2025 (deloitte.com)
12. 12Bankrate, Holiday spending report 2025 (bankrate.com)
13. 13Consolidated Credit, Holiday debt survey 2025 (consolidatedcredit.org)
14. 14Gallup, Daily loneliness 2024 (gallup.com)
15. 15HealthDay, citing the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging 2024 (healthday.com)
16. 16US Census Bureau, Families and living arrangements 2024 (census.gov)
17. 17Pew Research Center, Older adults and time alone 2019 (pewresearch.org)
18. 18WVVA, citing A Mission for Michael survey of adults who live alone 2025 (wvva.com)
19. 19AARP Foundation, The holiday season: joy, love and loneliness 2017 (aarp.org)
20. 20Annenberg Public Policy Center, Holiday suicide myth 2025 (annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org)
21. 21KFF, One year after the launch of 988 (2023) (kff.org)
22. 22CivicScience, Seasonal affective disorder survey 2022 (civicscience.com)
23. 23Eagle Hill Consulting with Ipsos, Workforce burnout survey 2025 (eaglehillconsulting.com)