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Rakuten survey says men will spend more than women on Valentine's Day

American men will spend more on Valentine's Day than women, with men spending an average of $104, compared to $45 by women.

February 3, 2015

Rakuten, one of the world's largest online retail marketplaces, has revealed the results of its Rakuten Shopping Secrets survey ahead of Valentine's Day. The study, conducted with consumers over seven markets, shows that American men will spend more on Valentine's Day than women, with men spending an average of $104, compared to $45 by women.

The survey also revealed that Americans will spend more on their fiancés than their spouses for Valentine's Day, spending an average of $154 on fiancés compared to $136 for spouses. Girlfriends and boyfriends come in third place, with the average spent $118. The next highest spending category was bosses, with respondents admitting they would spend $89 on their boss. Men would again spend more than women, at $96 versus $53.

For men, top gift requests included:

• 38 percent said a kiss, a hug or something more
• 28 percent would prefer chocolates, wine or food
• 24 percent don't want a gift, just more of your time (compared to 20 percent of women)

Women are a little more focused on gifts as their top choices:

• 45 percent would prefer chocolates, wine or food
• 40 percent shared the desire for a kiss, a hug or something more
• 36 percent would like flowers or a soft toy
• 31 percent preferred jewelry

Trends around the world were similar, with a few interesting insights: Indonesians are potentially the most loved-up group with 51 percent saying they would prefer a kiss, a hug or something more. The Taiwanese favor tech more than any other country, with 26 percent saying they would like to receive a smart device.