Almost every nation in the world celebrates Christmas in one way or another. While some do so to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, others do it as a tradition or to celebrate time spent together.
But what do the numbers say?
How Many People Celebrate Christmas?
Worldwide statistics show that some 2.3 billion people, or just under a third of the global population, are Christians, who celebrate Christmas as one of the most important religious holidays. Even though Christmas is not part of every nation’s official holidays, almost half of the world’s population participates in celebrations on and around the date.
Who’ll Be Joining a Worldwide Christmas Celebration?
Christmas is the most widely celebrated holiday in the world. A big part of today’s global population of eight billion people engages in Christmas celebrations, and some do so for cultural rather than religious reasons.
Here, we’ll take a look at the key stats and facts about the Christmas celebration around the world.
1. Globally, 45% of people engage in some sort of Christmas festivity.
(Journeyz) (NYTimes)
Stats show that almost half of the Earth’s population celebrates Christmas for religious, cultural, commercial, or other reasons.
Christmas is celebrated even in some predominantly Muslim countries where Jesus is regarded as a prophet of great significance.
2. In more than 160 countries around the globe, Christmas is an official holiday.
(WPR)
Around 80% of the world’s countries celebrate December 25 as a public holiday. People spend their holiday surrounded by family and friends, often exchanging gifts.
3. For over 260 million Christians, Christmas falls on the 7th of January.
(Google A&C) (Office Holidays) (PewResearch)
Over 260 million Orthodox Christians in countries including Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Balkan states such as Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar, on January 7.
An additional 30 million Coptic Christians in Eritrea, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Lebanon use the same calendar, so January 7 is their Christmas date.
4. About 75% of Europeans celebrate Christmas.
(Berlin Spectator) (Cultural Atlas) (GRF) (WPR)
About 78% of Germans, or some 65 million, celebrate Christmas. In France, up to 66% of the population, or some 43 million, celebrate the holiday.
5. Most of the Western world celebrates Christmas.
(Abacus Data) (Informed Decision)
Although traditions vary across nations, most Westerners celebrate Christmas, including about 12.6 million people in Australia. At the same time, some 87% of Canadians celebrate Christmas.
6. 93% of Americans celebrated Christmas in 2019.
(Gallup) (Statista)
According to a 2019 Gallup poll, 93% of Americans celebrated Christmas. Data from Statista drawn from a 2021 survey show that 85% of respondents were sure they were going to celebrate Christmas that year, 5% didn’t know, and 10% said they wouldn’t.
In 2019, the average American spent around $846 on gifts for Christmas.
7. 88% of UK consumers celebrated Christmas in 2021.
(Statista) (WPR)
According to a poll conducted in November 2021, around 88% of UK respondents (adults) said they would celebrate Christmas. Statistics show that British shoppers spend an average of £1,049 on gifts for spouses, significant others, and children.
8. Nearly 90% of Mexicans celebrate Christmas.
(GVI USA) (US DOS)
The vast majority of 128 million Mexicans are Christian. In fact, the country has the world’s longest Christmas celebration (December 12 to January 6). Usually, Mexican children are not taught to believe in Santa, but his popularity is on the rise.
9. Over 80% of Brazilians are Christians, most of whom celebrate Christmas.
(Statista) (WPR)
About 54% of the population are Roman Catholics, and 24% declare themselves Evangelists.
10. Over 3.6 million Japanese families order KFC for Christmas Eve.
(JRP)
Christmas is widely celebrated in Japan, but it’s not a national holiday. In the Land of the Rising Sun, Christmas is a time for parties with friends under decorated Christmas trees. Only 1% of the Japanese, those of the Christian religion, celebrate traditionally.
11. In India, more than 25 million people celebrate Christmas.
(WhyChristmas)
Less than 2.5% of India’s one billion inhabitants are Christians. Yet, Christmas is a national holiday in India. Popular festivities include attending a midnight mass and a Christmas feast.
Conclusion
Christmas is celebrated in almost every corner of the Earth. However, traditions, customs, and even celebration dates vary. More and more people celebrate Christmas in a secular way, as a cultural rather than a religious holiday.
More than 160 countries around the world officially celebrate Christmas. People in around 20 other countries participate in Christmas-related festivities, even though Christmas is not their official holiday. Nearly 32% of the world’s population professes to be Christians. However, each year about 45% celebrate Christmas in some fashion. Around two billion people celebrate Christmas on December 25. The rest, about 260 million Orthodox and 30 million Coptic Christians, celebrate Christmas on January 7. Their churches choose the dates for Christmas following the Julian calendar. China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Turkey don’t officially celebrate Christmas. However, they have unofficial celebrations. Countries with some sort of Christmas celebration include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cambodia, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Vietnam, Djibouti, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Laos, and Oman. Countries that don’t celebrate Christmas in any degree or form include Afghanistan, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Mongolia, North Korea, Somalia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. FAQ
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