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Poll finds nearly one-third of dads don't want any gifts for Father's Day

Father's Day is Sunday, and if you're trying to figure out what to get your dad, the best answer might be nothing.
Child hugs dad reading Father's Day card.
Posted at 1:02 PM, Jun 12, 2024

When asked what they want for Father's Day, nearly a third of dads said they don't want anything, while some dads said they would enjoy a meal out or a gift card, a new survey revealed.

According to a poll conducted by YouGov, 32% of dads said they don't want any gifts for Father's Day, which is this Sunday. Besides nothing, the top thing dads said they want is to go out for a meal or drink.

Five hundred fathers took part in the poll. Here are the top gifts they said they want this year:

  • 32% - Nothing
  • 19% - Taken out for drinks/a meal
  • 18% - Greeting card
  • 17% - Gift card
  • 16% - Alcohol 

The least popular answer was an experience, such as a sports lesson or going skydiving.

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As far as the top activities dads said they would enjoy doing this Father's Day, most (58%) said they would enjoy spending time with their children. The poll also found that 42% would enjoy a meal at home, 30% would like to go out for dinner, and 24% said they would like to watch a movie or TV show of their choice.

Then there are the dads who just want some alone time. The poll found that 19% of dads said they want to spend some time alone, while 15% said they would prefer to do nothing.

The National Retail Federation estimates that $22.4 billion will be spent on Father's Day this year. Its data suggests that $4.5 billion will be spent on special outings, while $3.5 billion will be spent on clothing and $2.9 billion on gift cards.

The NRF says that those ages 25-34 are the biggest spenders and are expected to spend $275.67 on average this Father's Day.