Mexico | Valentine’s Day: A Barometer of Consumer Spending and Financial Inclusion

Summary

This press release examines February 14 not only as a date associated with romance and friendship, but also as an economic event that provides insights into consumer behavior and financial inclusion.

Key points

• Key points:
• The 2023 National Financial Health Survey (Ensafi) indicates that 29.0% of adults in Mexico can “always” or “almost always” purchase a gift without compromising their finances. This proportion rises to 44.9% among those who keep a record of their income and expenses, compared with 24.5% among those who do not.
• Low-value card payment transactions (debit and credit) carried out on February 14 exceeded the monthly average by 4.0% in 2023 and 2024—when the date fell on a Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively—and by 12.5% in 2025, when it fell on a Friday.
• On this day, the categories of these transactions that exceeded the February 2025 monthly average were: fast food (21.2% above the monthly average), entertainment (18.8%), restaurants (34.1%), and retail sales (18.8%).
• Moreover, these transactions have intensified over time and also tend to be higher when the date falls on a Friday. For example, between February 14 and 16, fast food transactions increased on average from 0.7 million to 1.2 million between 2023 and 2025; in entertainment, they rose from 0.8 million to 1.2 million.

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