Among Ukrainians, the most popular New Year gifts are a romantic trip, a car, accessories and money, according to the results of a study conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on December 3 through December 11, 2021.
According to the opinion poll, if in the previous pre-COVID-19 years Ukrainians were very mercantile (money was in first place by a large margin), now, the first place is taken by a romantic trip (18% of respondents) and a car and accessories to it (12%). The next three gifts that Ukrainians would like to receive are money (10%), a mobile phone and other electronic devices (9%), as well as household appliances (7%).
Less than 5% of respondents want to receive all other gifts.
So, as for the desired gifts for men and women, apart from money (which both men and women like equally), there is expected to be a significant difference between them. Some 14% of men and 10% of women would like to get cars or accessories for them, 8.3% of women and 4.5% of men would like to get household appliances (men also actively participate in cooking and cleaning). Some 20% of women and 17% of men would like to go on a romantic trip. 6% of women and 3% of men would like to get eau de toilette, perfumery, and cosmetics.
In addition, according to the results of the study, if we consider the change in wishes from 2014 to 2021, then in addition to a significant increase in the desire to travel, there is a growing need for mobile phones and other electronic devices (from 3% in 2014 to 9% in 2021), as well as for tablets and PCs.
Asked about the desired gift, the respondents were able also to add their own wish if it was not on the list. More often than not, there was something that was impossible to give – peace and health. But there were also more realistic wishes. These were congratulations from children or grandchildren or that they come to visit.
Some respondents answered that they would like to receive a book, a balalaika, a large chocolate bar, a two-cylinder moped, a set of paints for painting, a kiss from his wife, “so that all those who are testing the waters in Ukraine go to the demonic father behind the road-edge,” a sable fur coat as a gift, and “to take away his woman for six months.”
The number of those wishing to have a pet also increased from 0.8% to 1.8%.
The survey was conducted by Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) on the basis of a random sample of mobile telephone numbers (with random generation of telephone numbers and subsequent statistical weighting) among 2,000 respondents living in all regions of Ukraine (except for the Autonomous Republic of Crimea). In Luhansk and Donetsk regions, the survey was conducted only in the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities.
The sample is representative of the adult population (age 18 and older) in Ukraine. The sample does not include territories temporarily not controlled by the Ukrainian authorities – the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The statistical error of the sample (with a probability of 0.95 and taking into account the design effect of 1.1) does not exceed: 2.4% for indicators close to 50%, 2.1% for indicators close to 25%, 1.5% – for indicators close to 10%, 1.1% – for indicators close to 5%.
