{
  "id": 13331239,
  "title": "Festive spending 2026: 53% of Indians say family finances have worsened, CVoter survey finds – ‘Bloom but no boom’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/festive-spending-2026-53-of-indians-say-family-finances-have-worsened",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-10T04:41:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Mint",
    "slug": "live-mint",
    "url": "https://www.livemint.com/news/india/festive-spending-2026-bloom-but-no-boom-as-53-of-indians-say-family-finances-have-worsened-cvoter-survey-diwali-11791604603604.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the lead-up to the festive season, a survey has found that Indian consumers are eager to buy and spend, but financial concerns are dampening high-end discretionary spending. Lower-income families are particularly anxious about their financial condition, with 63.2% reporting a deterioration, compared to 26.3% among higher-income households. Only 11.6% of respondents say their family's financial situation has improved, while 27.1% believe it remains unchanged. The survey, conducted by CVoter, reveals a stark regional divide, with 59.2% of rural respondents reporting worsened finances, compared to 40.6% of urban respondents.\n\nDespite financial concerns, traditional festive purchases like new clothes remain popular, with 45% of respondents already buying or planning to buy clothes for at least one family member. However, 45.4% do not plan to purchase new clothes, indicating budgetary restraint. Sweet treats are also favored, with 33% planning to buy them from local shops, while 8.7% intend to buy both sweets and chocolates. Traditional sweets are preferred over imported chocolates, which are mentioned by only 3.1%.\n\nHousehold budgets are being prioritized over larger purchases, with only 21.5% planning to buy kitchen appliances and 18.5% considering electronic items. Home improvement projects show mixed demand, with 50.2% of respondents indicating no plans for renovation. Payment preferences lean towards full payment at the time of purchase, with 32.2% opting for this method. Travel is another important aspect of the festive season, but most households are staying close to home, with 47.5% considering a family trip, often to local or religious destinations. Only 5.3% are planning an international holiday.",
  "summary": "More than half of respondents, or 53.6%, said in the survey that their family’s financial condition was worse than it was a year ago. Only 11.6% reported an improvement, while 27.1% said their situation remained unchanged, it said.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}