Quick stats: Do Singaporean consumers really care about Valentine's Day?

Is Valentine’s Day celebrated due to love or commercial pressures? Well in Singapore younger people appear to be somewhat less hostile to Valentine’s Day than older people, with those aged 18 to 24 most likely to say it is an occasion worth celebrating (30%).

However, the overall picture is still one of heavy scepticism across the generations, with the majority still expressing the commercial pressure is the main reason they celebrate the occasion, found by a report by YouGov.

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Interestingly, the online Chinese population are the most likely to see Valentine’s Day as being celebrated on its own terms, at 41%. However, just as many (45%) believe that it is celebrated more due to commercial pressure.

The study saw the partaking of 19,000 individuals in 18 countries and territories, and overall statistics showed that consumers feel pressure from commercial entities such as greetings card companies bombarding them to express their affection through the medium of buying things to celebrate the occasion more than celebrating Valentine's Day because it is a 'proper' special occasion. 

Danes are the least likely to see Valentine’s Day as a ‘proper’ special occasion, at just 5%. Around 82% of Dane see it more as a commercialised event, a figure matched in Britain and topped in Spain (85%).

In the Western countries surveyed, no more than 27% of people say they think the lovers’ day is observed for ‘real’ reasons. Singapore sits in the middle, with just a quarter thinking it is a legitimate special occasion (24%).

Men and women share the same scepticism for the celebration around the world. In all countries and territories, men and women are about as likely as one another to say that Valentine’s Day is celebrated more because of commercial pressure.

According to a 2020 study by Plenty of Fish, Valentine's Day has long received mixed reviews from singles.

The Pressures of Valentine's Day & Dating study reveals that 43% of singles consider Valentine's Day to be the most pressure-filled holiday, with 20% wishing the holiday was cancelled altogether.

According to the study, the pressure tied to Valentine's Day is stronger among younger singles, with 60% of Gen Z and 52% of Millennials feeling the heat, and trends downwards as singles age. Interestingly, the biggest pressures come from external sources tied to societal expectations (58%), commercialization and non-stop advertising of the big day (57%), and social media hype (48%).

The research also shows that on Valentine's Day, singles feel pressure to be romantic (51%), be in a relationship (43%), go on a date (42%), spend more money on gifts than they want to (37%), act like the holiday is meaningful (41%), or show others they have a Valentine (36%).

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