Fewer women in Japan plan to give Valentine’s chocolate as inflation bites

TOKYO – Fewer women in Japan are planning to give chocolates on Valentine’s Day than a year earlier, as rising costs for everyday goods put a pressure on their their budgets, according to a recent survey by a market research firm.

In the survey targeting 2,500 women and girls aged from 15 to 79, 42.8 per cent said they have no plans to give chocolates, up 4.0 percentage points from a year prior.

In Japan, women traditionally give a box of chocolates to men, including their romantic partner, father and coworkers, on Valentine’s Day. Some also exchange chocolates with their friends.

Conducted from Jan 14 to 19 by Intage Inc., the survey results showed the largest drop was among gifting to family members, down 4.4 points from 2025 at 38.7 per cent.

Chocolate gifts to friends were also down 2.1 points to 11.2 per cent, and “obligatory” chocolate for colleagues declined 1.3 point to 7.9 per cent.

A significant majority of working women are reluctant to take part in the tradition of obligatory chocolate gifts to male coworkers, with 85.4 per cent of 787 relevant respondents saying they do not want to, the highest proportion since the survey began in 2022.

Conversely, the proportion of women saying they intend to buy chocolates for themselves was almost flat, with a 0.3 point rise to 21.3 per cent.

The average spent on Valentine’s Day chocolate increased 8.1 per cent to 4,943 yen (S$40) but fewer respondents said they want to purchase quality products, in a sign of how inflation may be pressuring luxury purchases. KYODO NEWS