37% of U.S. consumers took on new holiday debt

Holiday spending resulted in more than one-third of U.S. consumers (37%) to accrue further debt in 2025. The LendingTree data suggested that debt total achieved an average of $1,223, more than the $1,181 recorded last year and the highest figure since 2022. “Even sticking to the same shopping list as last year can cost more now. That forces tough choices like whether to cut back on gifts or turn to credit to fill the gap. People adjust where they can throughout the year, but many just can’t bring themselves to scale back holiday traditions, so it’s easy to see how those higher costs can translate into rising debt,” said Matt Schulz, LendingTree’s chief consumer finance analyst (via Chain Store Age).