Dundee and Glasgow councils are biggest spenders on Christmas lights and decorations in UK

Dundee and Glasgow were named the biggest spenders in the UK on festive decorations

Two Scottish cities have been named as the biggest spenders on Christmas lights and decorations, according to a new report.

Data collated by Christmastrees.co.uk has revealed the UK towns and cities that spend the most on festive decorations each year, with Dundee and Glasgow topping the list.

How much money is spent?

Glasgow is the biggest overall spender on Christmas decorations

Dundee topped the list as the biggest spender on Christmas festivities, in terms of the average spend per 100,000.

The city, which has a population of approximately 150,000 people, had an average spend of £1,274 per 100,000, which amounted to more than four times the national average of just £293.

However, its average overall spend of £188,913 per year ranked Dundee as fifth in the UK.

Topping the list for the biggest overall spender was fellow Scottish city Glasgow, which was found to be the most generous in the country when it comes to funds for Christmas.

The city spends an average of £419,685 per year on festive lights and decorations, which is the highest in the UK.

Glasgow also ranked second in terms of average per 100,000 people, with a spend of £663 - just over twice as much as the national average.

A third Scottish city also featured in the UK top 20. Aberdeen ranked at number 13 for the highest spend per 100,000 people.

The city splashes out an average of £96,217 per year on seasonal decor, amounting to £421 per 100,000 people.

How was the spend calculated?

The data is based on Freedom of Information requests that were submitted to more than 100 local authorities across the UK.

The online Christmas tree retailer asked councils how much money had been spent on Christmas decorations - including lights, baubles and trees - since 2015, as well as the budget allocated to decorations this year. The average spend for each town and city was then calculated based on figures for the past five years, from 2015 to 2019.

Population figures for each area are based on the 2018 and mid-2019 population estimates by the Office for National Statistics.

How did other areas rank?

These are the top 15 highest spending UK cities and towns on Christmas decorations, ranked by spend per 100,000 people.

- Dundee - Average spend per year: £188,913. Average spend per 1,000 people: £1,274

- Glasgow - Average spend per year: £419,685. Average spend per 1,000 people: £663

- Leicester - Average spend per year: £204,904. Average spend per 1,000 people: £588

- Sutton Coldfield - Average spend per year: £53,749. Average spend per 1,000 people: £565

- Kingston Upon Hull - Average spend per year: £126,611. Average spend per 1,000 people: £487

- Cheltenham - Average spend per year: £56,447. Average spend per 1,000 people: £485

- Carlisle - Average spend per year: £50,415. Average spend per 1,000 people: £464

- Hartlepool - Average spend per year: £42,841. Average spend per 1,000 people: £457

- Scarborough - Average spend per year: £46,814. Average spend per 1,000 people: £431

- St Helens - Average spend per year: £77,395. Average spend per 1,000 people: £430

- Canterbury - Average spend per year: £70,000. Average spend per 1,000 people: £425

- Stevenage - Average spend per year: £36,763. Average spend per 1,000 people: £422

- Aberdeen - Average spend per year: £96,217. Average spend per 1,000 people: £421

- Newcastle upon Tyne - Average spend per year: £125,714. Average spend per 1,000 people: £415

- Tamworth - Average spend per year: £30,382. Average spend per 1,000 people: £412