• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

'I literally was crying last night because I’m nervous about what I’m going to find out': a record 51% of Americans aren't 'cost secure' on health

2

A new trade war may be brewing. This time, Europe is taking a page from Trump's playbook — 'We no longer live in a world of pink ponies and rainbows'

3

Former VP Kamala Harris says she went through a nine-hour interview to land the job—but she couldn’t escape ‘gold medal depression’ even when she won

1

'I literally was crying last night because I’m nervous about what I’m going to find out': a record 51% of Americans aren't 'cost secure' on health

2

A new trade war may be brewing. This time, Europe is taking a page from Trump's playbook — 'We no longer live in a world of pink ponies and rainbows'

3

Former VP Kamala Harris says she went through a nine-hour interview to land the job—but she couldn’t escape ‘gold medal depression’ even when she won
Personal Financechristmas gifts

If you buy all the gifts from ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ this year, you will pay way more than you did last year

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 2, 2024, 11:45 AM ET
Fun fact: Partridges wouldn't be in a pear tree. They're ground-nesting, seed-eating birds.
Fun fact: Partridges wouldn't be in a pear tree. They're ground-nesting, seed-eating birds. Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Let’s be honest… If you truly think the idea of buying your true love a menagerie of birds and a dozen percussionists is a great idea, we need to get you a personal shopping assistant ASAP. But if you’re simply curious about how inflation has hit the items in one of the best-known Christmas carols, the answer is: a lot.

Picking up every item listed in “The 12 Days of Christmas” will cost you 5.4% more this year than in 2023, compared to a 2.7% increase from just a year ago. (It’s a steep climb this year, but it’s still nowhere close to the 10.5% increase of 2022.) Should you choose to buy these truly odd gifts for your beloved, you’ll shell out $49,263 this year, according to the 40th annual PNC Christmas Price Index.

Blame the birds. And the drummers. And while you’re at it, cast a nasty glance at the pipers as well.

Should you be a Christmas completist/traditionalist who is absolutely out of their mind and buys all 364 of the gifts (seriously, enough with the pear trees!), you’ll end up paying $209,272. You’ll also likely be single by the end of the holiday season.

Oh, and throw those poor maids-a-milking a tip, would ya? They haven’t seen a wage increase since 2009!

Which gifts have seen the biggest spikes? Okay, Doolittle, let’s talk about the birds. First—and this is important—no one wants 184 birds for Christmas, especially 42 geese walking around the living room honking and…well, you know. Geese are jerks.

Those geese will cost you 15.4% more this year, by the way. And the partridge in the pear tree(s) saw a 16% spike, though you can blame the tree for that. The pipers piping and drummers drumming? Those are 15.8% more expensive.

(This seems like a good place to note that aspirin, while not one of the gifts mentioned in the song but a great stocking stuffer if you actually do this, is also more expensive this year.)

Still determined to expose your true love to potential avian flu, jewelry, and a bunch of strangers in their home? Here’s how the prices break down.

Gift


2024 price


A partridge + a pear tree

$370.18 (+16%)

2 turtle doves

$750 (unch)

3 French hens

$346.50 (+5%)

4 calling birds

$599.96 (unch)

5 gold rings

$1,245 (unch)


6 geese-a-laying

$900 (+15.4%)


7 swans-a-swimming

$13,125 (unch)

8 maids-a-milking

$58 (unch)

9 ladies dancing

$8,557.37 (+3%)

10 lords-a-leaping

$15,579.65 (+7.2%)


11 pipers piping

$3,714.96 (+15.8%)


12 drummers drumming

$4,016.85 (+15.8%)

The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Personal Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Personal Finance

Julia Bartak
CommentaryGen Z
Edward Jones advisor: Gen-Z doesn’t want an office happy hour. They want financial security
By Julia BartakJune 21, 2026
8 hours ago
boomer
Economynational debt
The national debt’s 20-year deadline and baby boomers’ spending problem: ‘a lot of incentive for every generation to try to pass a big bill’
By Nick LichtenbergJune 21, 2026
9 hours ago
Who needs rate cuts? Even the Fed’s new chair admits companies are easily raising capital on financial markets amid epic stock and debt binge
BankingStock
Who needs rate cuts? Even the Fed’s new chair admits companies are easily raising capital on financial markets amid epic stock and debt binge
By Jason MaJune 20, 2026
24 hours ago
t
Personal Financestudent loans and debt
Trump’s student loan rate cut excludes most of the 9 million borrowers in default
By Alia Wong, Collin Binkley and The Associated PressJune 20, 2026
1 day ago
Photo of Basant Shenouda
SuccessThe Interview Playbook
Gen Z grad landed a job at LinkedIn by waitressing at a conference full of recruiters and handing out her résumé during breaks—now she works at Google
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 20, 2026
1 day ago
Top CD rates today, June 19, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.30%
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates today, June 19, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.30%
By Glen Luke FlanaganJune 19, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

'I literally was crying last night because I’m nervous about what I’m going to find out': a record 51% of Americans aren't 'cost secure' on health
Health
'I literally was crying last night because I’m nervous about what I’m going to find out': a record 51% of Americans aren't 'cost secure' on health
By Ali Swenson, Amelia Thomson-Deveaux and The Associated PressJune 20, 2026
1 day ago
A new trade war may be brewing. This time, Europe is taking a page from Trump's playbook — 'We no longer live in a world of pink ponies and rainbows'
Economy
A new trade war may be brewing. This time, Europe is taking a page from Trump's playbook — 'We no longer live in a world of pink ponies and rainbows'
By Jason MaJune 20, 2026
21 hours ago
Former VP Kamala Harris says she went through a nine-hour interview to land the job—but she couldn’t escape ‘gold medal depression’ even when she won
Success
Former VP Kamala Harris says she went through a nine-hour interview to land the job—but she couldn’t escape ‘gold medal depression’ even when she won
By Emma BurleighJune 21, 2026
9 hours ago
Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it
Environment
Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion for climate change. With the 2030 clock ticking, his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is leading the charge to spend it
By Sydney LakeJune 19, 2026
2 days ago
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeJune 21, 2026
8 hours ago
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says electricians and plumbers will be needed by the hundreds of thousands in the new working world
Success
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says electricians and plumbers will be needed by the hundreds of thousands in the new working world
By Preston ForeJune 20, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.