| Goal | Estimated Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| End Hunger | $30 billion annually | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2008) |
| Treat All AIDS Patients | $18 billion annually | United Nations (2008) |
| Ensure Universal Primary Education | $8 billion - $15 billion annually | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (2001) |
| Provide Clean Water to All | $10 Billion | World Water Council (2003) |
| Prevent the Spread of HIV/AIDS | $4.2 billion annually | United Nations (2008) |
| Save the Rainforest | $482 million annually | mogabay for total annual deforestation numbers and Conservation International for the cost per acre (2010) |
Cost to Change the World
Americans' Spending
Below, you'll find a table listing the sources for the Americans' Holiday Spending graph. To come up with the average American's budget, we took these numbers and divided by the total number of Americans over the age of 18 (232,403,958, according to U.S. Census data).
DISCLAIMER: It's well-documented that Americans spend about $450 billion every holiday season. What's harder to find, though, is where exactly that money goes. Above, you see where the numbers on this website came from. Although the $450 billion total is a solid figure, some of the specifics on how much is spent on what are a bit fuzzier and may, in fact, be under or over reported here. We've done our best to get accurate numbers, but as the following explains, it wasn't easy.
The National Retail Federation reports the total amount Americans spend every holiday season, but it doesn't report any type of break-down. You may have seen graphs depicting how much Americans spend on gifts for friends, gifts for family, food, etc. Most of these graphs are created based on information from the National Retail Federation. These numbers, however, aren't accurate reflections of how much Americans spend. They're taken from polls, given before the holidays, asking Americans how much they believe they will spend during the season. The numbers help indicate consumer confidence, but they don't tell us too much about what Americans are actually buying.
For that, we have to piece together information from a variety of sources. The main source is the U.S. Census, which reports how much money is spent at various types of American retail stores every month. This tells us how much Americans spend shopping online, at clothing stores, at bars and restaurants, at book stores, etc. But it doesn't get into specifics about what, exactly, Americans are purchasing at these stores. Some of this can be inferred -- most likely, books (or something similar) are purchased at book stores. But what about superstores and department stores? According to the Census, $124.4 billion was spent at superstores and department stores during November and December 2009. That could mean books, clothes, pet supplies, gift wrap, or any number of other things.
So we have to look at a few other sources. Hallmark, for example, has placed the holiday gift wrap industry at $1.1 billion. The American Veterinary Medical Association has estimated annual holiday pet sales at $5 billion.
Because these numbers are coming from different sources, rather than one main source, some items may be over or under represented. For example, the U.S. Census reports that $49.3 billion is spent on online, catalog, and other non-store purchases. It also reports that $25.6 billion is spent at clothing stores. Most likely, some of those catalog purchases are clothes, so the amount Americans spend on clothes in the holidays is probably higher than $25.6 billion.
Despite these inconsistencies, the most important number -- the $450 billion -- is an accurate, well-reported figure.
| Item | Annual Holiday Spending (Nov.-Dec.) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas Trees | $410,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Gift Wrap | $1,100,000,000 | Hallmark (2003) |
| Candles | $1,300,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Book stores | $3,072,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Computers and software | $3,454,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Novelty gifts and souvenires | $3,832,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Shoes | $4,428,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Gifts for pets | $5,000,000,000 | American Veterinary Medical Association (2004) |
| Toys, hobbies and games | $5,258,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Sporting Goods | $7,915,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Jewelry | $9,300,000,000 | American Chronicle (2007) |
| Stationary and office supplies | $10,940,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Electronics and appliances | $16,715,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Postage for cards, letters and packages | $20,000,000,000 | American Chronicle (2007) |
| Decorations and home furnishings | $23,000,000,000 | National Retail Federation |
| Gift Cards | $24,800,000,000 | National Retail Federation (2006) |
| Clothing | $25,622,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Online, catalog and other non-store purchases | $49,308,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Travel | $56,474,000,000 | National Retail Federation |
| Restaurants and bars | $76,808,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Food and Beverages (not including restaurants) | $97,122,000,000 | U.S. Census Bureau (2009) |
| Other | $4,142,000,000 | difference between sub-total (above) and annual total (about $450 billion, as reported by the National Retail Federation and the U.S. Census Bureau) |
DISCLAIMER: It's well-documented that Americans spend about $450 billion every holiday season. What's harder to find, though, is where exactly that money goes. Above, you see where the numbers on this website came from. Although the $450 billion total is a solid figure, some of the specifics on how much is spent on what are a bit fuzzier and may, in fact, be under or over reported here. We've done our best to get accurate numbers, but as the following explains, it wasn't easy.
The National Retail Federation reports the total amount Americans spend every holiday season, but it doesn't report any type of break-down. You may have seen graphs depicting how much Americans spend on gifts for friends, gifts for family, food, etc. Most of these graphs are created based on information from the National Retail Federation. These numbers, however, aren't accurate reflections of how much Americans spend. They're taken from polls, given before the holidays, asking Americans how much they believe they will spend during the season. The numbers help indicate consumer confidence, but they don't tell us too much about what Americans are actually buying.
For that, we have to piece together information from a variety of sources. The main source is the U.S. Census, which reports how much money is spent at various types of American retail stores every month. This tells us how much Americans spend shopping online, at clothing stores, at bars and restaurants, at book stores, etc. But it doesn't get into specifics about what, exactly, Americans are purchasing at these stores. Some of this can be inferred -- most likely, books (or something similar) are purchased at book stores. But what about superstores and department stores? According to the Census, $124.4 billion was spent at superstores and department stores during November and December 2009. That could mean books, clothes, pet supplies, gift wrap, or any number of other things.
So we have to look at a few other sources. Hallmark, for example, has placed the holiday gift wrap industry at $1.1 billion. The American Veterinary Medical Association has estimated annual holiday pet sales at $5 billion.
Because these numbers are coming from different sources, rather than one main source, some items may be over or under represented. For example, the U.S. Census reports that $49.3 billion is spent on online, catalog, and other non-store purchases. It also reports that $25.6 billion is spent at clothing stores. Most likely, some of those catalog purchases are clothes, so the amount Americans spend on clothes in the holidays is probably higher than $25.6 billion.
Despite these inconsistencies, the most important number -- the $450 billion -- is an accurate, well-reported figure.