Valentine’s Day 2012, by the Numbers

NewsFeed breaks down the mystique of Valentine's Day the most romantic way of all: with facts and figures.

  • Share
  • Read Later
Kim Fearheiley Photography / Getty Images

Valentine’s Day, Singles Awareness Day, Hallmark Day — whatever you like to call it, February 14 is almost upon us. A day of love and frustration, of proposals and breakups. A day of jewelry and candy and unmet expectations. Exalted by some, loathed by others, but inevitable to all. NewsFeed breaks down the mystique of Valentine’s Day the most romantic way of all: with cold, hard statistics.

(MORE: 7 Romantic Valentine’s Day Gifts That Are Actually Useful)

$126.03: The average expected amount, per person, that Americans will shell out for the holiday. That’s up 8.5% from last year. Consumers are expected to spend the most on jewelry, at a collective $4.1 billion.

72 million: The average number of Valentine’s cards purchased by parents (40% of all cards sold). Whether they end up giving the cards to their children is unknown. Either way, 65% of all gifts will take the form of a greeting card. They’re quick, cheap, and best of all, they come with heartfelt messages already written for you.

$52.4 million: The 2010 romantic comedy Valentine’s Day raked in this much cash during its first weekend in theaters. But how did critics feel about the star-studded box office hit? See below.

18 (out of 100): The Rotten Tomatoes score awarded to Valentine’s Day.

40%: The estimated increase in requests for divorce lawyers around mid-February each year.

(VIDEO: Valentine’s Day Gifts for Geeks)

82%: The portion of people who said they’d like an “experience” rather than a gift for the romantic holiday. What these “experiences” entail, and how expensive they are, is unclear. But consumers are expected to put $3.5 billion towards a romantic evening on the town with their partner.

220,000: The average number of wedding proposals on Valentine’s Day each year (10% of the annual total).

70%: The portion of singles who said they wouldn’t mind a blind date for the occasion.

8 billion: The number of Sweethearts Conversation Hearts manufactured each year by the New England Confectionery Company. Though the company began producing candy with messages in 1860, modern Sweethearts date back to 1920, when the sweets were also available in shapes such as watches, baseballs and horseshoes.

15%: The estimated portion of women who will send themselves flowers. (Like Cher in Clueless, perhaps?)

$367 million: Don’t forget Fido — collectively, consumers spend this much on Valentine’s Day gifts for their pets each year.

MORE: White Castle: A Valentine’s Day Hot Spot?