Each year PNC Bank (PNCXL) calculates how much your true love would have to shell out to present you with each gift mentioned in the holiday tune “12 Days of Christmas.”
This year’s PNC Christmas Price Index clocks in at $34,130.99 — a 0.6%, or $198, increase from last year.
The PNC CPI has gone up every year since 2002, which saw a 12.8% decrease; that year was then followed by the largest jump in the index’s history with a 21.6% growth. This year had the smallest increase since 2009, when the CPI went up by just 0.3%.
The tradition began over 30 years ago as a seasonal (and dare I say fun?) way to measure inflation and engage clients. The measurements are similar to those used in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ U.S. Consumer Price Index, and they often show similar growth. This year’s U.S. CPI increased by 0.2%.
Most of the “12 Days of Christmas” gifts maintained their prices from last year. The only items that went up in price were the partridge in a pear tree (+3.5%), two turtle doves (+11.5%), and ten lords-a-leaping (+3.0%). The most expensive item on the list by far is seven swans-a-swimming, which go for $13,125.
