As the calendar turns from Christmas toward New Year’s Eve — two of the most popular proposal dates of the year — engagement season is well underway. But new survey data suggests that while the timing of proposals may remain traditional, attitudes about who pays for the ring are rapidly evolving.
According to DatingAdvice.com’s recent "Holiday Engagement Survey," more than 70% of women say they’re willing to contribute to the cost of their engagement ring, signaling a notable shift from long-standing expectations that the financial burden falls solely on men.
Nearly 19% of women surveyed said they would pay for the ring in full, about 23% would contribute partially, and another 29% would chip in if needed — underscoring a growing view of the ring as a shared investment rather than a solo purchase.
The findings reflect broader cultural changes. With more dual-income couples, later marriages and heightened awareness around debt and budgeting, many partners are approaching engagement ring shopping more pragmatically.
As The Knot reported, the average engagement ring costs about $5,200, and in an era of rising prices, couples appear increasingly comfortable discussing cost — and sharing it — openly.
Financial shifts are only part of the engagement-season story. The DatingAdvice.com survey also explored how pressure to propose varies by age, revealing a clear generational divide.
Nearly one in three Gen Z respondents (29%) and millennials (27.6%) reported feeling some level of pressure to get engaged during engagement season, compared to just 20% of Gen X and 8.3% of boomers. Younger couples, often juggling career-building, financial strain, and social-media expectations, are far more likely to feel the heat as holiday proposals flood Instagram feeds.
Interestingly, men reported higher levels of intense proposal pressure than women. About 11.5% of men said they felt “a lot” of pressure to propose, nearly three times the rate of women. The findings suggest that expectations around planning, financing and executing the “perfect” proposal — especially during peak engagement season — may be weighing more heavily on male partners.
When it comes to how proposals unfold, however, spectacle appears to be losing ground. While social media has popularized elaborate, public moments, the survey found that nearly a third of respondents prefer a private proposal. That preference increases sharply with age: more than half of boomers said they favor a private engagement, compared to just over 20% of Gen Z and millennials.
Taken together, the results paint a picture of engagement season in transition. Rings are still deeply symbolic, Christmas and New Year’s remain prime proposal moments, but today’s couples are rewriting the rules — sharing costs, easing pressure, and prioritizing authenticity over performance.
The "Holiday Engagement Survey" survey was conducted by DatingAdvice and Prodege and includes responses from 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 to 79 who reported being in a committed relationship. The sample includes a broad distribution across gender, age and US regions. Fieldwork was completed in December 2025.
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