The economics of Mother's Day: By the numbers

Some say motherhood is a thankless job. But this Sunday, America's kids, husbands, and grandkids plan to spend billions upon billions of dollars thanking the moms in their lives.

Here, a few more of the numbers behind Mother's Day:

$20.7 billion

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The amount Americans will spend this Mother's Day, according to the National Retail Federation's Mother's Day spending survey

85.4 million

Moms in the U.S., according to the latest stats from the United States Census Bureau

$168.94

The average amount American consumers will spend on mom for Mother's Day 2013

$152.52

The average spending last year. This year's figure is an 11 percent increase.

3

Mother's Day's ranking, after Christmas and Valentine's Day, in terms of the amount of money spent by U.S. consumers

5

Father's Day's ranking

14.1

Percent of buyers who plan to purchase electronics as Mother's Day gifts — the highest percentage in history

$2.3 billion

Amount expected to be spent on electronics for Mother's Day, up from last year's $1.6 billion

$2.3 billion

Amount expected to be spent on flowers this Mother's Day

16,182

Florist establishments nationwide in 2010, according to New York Citizen One

70,575

Employees at floral shops across the U.S

28.5

Percent of Americans who will buy their gifts online this year

25.6

Percent of Americans who bought Mother's Day gifts online last year

29.1

Percent of shoppers who will buy Mother's Day gifts at discount stores

36

Percent of moms who would prefer to receive something homemade

24

Percent of daughters who plan to give something homemade

17

Percent of sons who plan to give something homemade

Sources: Business Pundit, Census, Credit Donkey, National Retail Federation, New York Citizen One