Kindred Bloom reference guide
U.S. greeting card statistics
A sourced, citation-ready collection of the latest available figures on greeting cards, stationery and holiday mail in the United States.
Last updated October 27, 2026. Each statistic names its source and source date, because the best available industry figures are collected on different schedules.
What this covers
A clear view of the occasions people still mark with a card.
Greeting cards sit at the meeting point of everyday connection, seasonal traditions and thoughtful gifting. This guide brings together the strongest available figures from industry and postal sources, with the context needed to quote them responsibly.
It is built for writers, retailers, planners and anyone looking for an easy-to-check reference. When a number comes from an older report, we say so plainly rather than presenting it as new.
Key figures
Citable U.S. greeting card facts
6.5 billion
greeting cards purchased in the U.S. each year
The Greeting Card Association's industry fact sheet gives this as an approximate annual figure.
Source: Greeting Card Association, Greeting Card Facts (September 25, 2019) ↗$7–$8 billion
estimated annual U.S. greeting-card retail sales
This is the trade association's published sales estimate, not an inflation-adjusted 2026 forecast.
Source: Greeting Card Association, Greeting Card Facts (September 25, 2019) ↗1.6 billion
Christmas cards purchased annually, including boxed cards
The Greeting Card Association identifies Christmas as the largest seasonal card occasion in its 2019 fact sheet.
Source: Greeting Card Association, Greeting Card Facts (September 25, 2019) ↗#1
everyday card-sending occasion
Birthday is named as the most popular everyday occasion in the Greeting Card Association's industry facts.
Source: Greeting Card Association, Greeting Card Facts (September 25, 2019) ↗313,020,000
single-piece stamped cards and postcards mailed in fiscal year 2025
USPS groups individually mailed stamped cards and postcards together in this historical series.
Source: U.S. Postal Service, card and postcard volume history (Fiscal year 2025) ↗2,350,132,000
presorted postcards mailed in fiscal year 2025
This is USPS's separate bulk-mail volume measure for presorted postcards.
Source: U.S. Postal Service, card and postcard volume history (Fiscal year 2025) ↗46%
of household mail during the 2023 holiday season was holiday cards
USPS reported this share from its holiday-season research.
Source: U.S. Postal Service, Daily printout (December 13, 2024, reporting 2023 research) ↗54%
of surveyed stationery retailers reported higher card and stationery sales
The result reflects the prior-year comparison in the Greeting Card Association's 2022 retailer survey, not all U.S. retailers.
Source: Greeting Card Association, Stationery by the Numbers (2022) ↗63%
of surveyed retailers named $4–$6 as their best-selling card price point
This is a retailer survey result from 2022 and should not be read as a current national average price.
Source: Greeting Card Association, Stationery by the Numbers (2022) ↗How to read the numbers
Useful context matters as much as a useful figure.
The U.S. Postal Service figures track mailed cards and postcards, not every card purchased or shared digitally. The trade association figures describe the broader greeting-card market, while the retailer survey reports only on its respondents. These measures answer different questions, so they should not be added together or treated as interchangeable.
Christmas remains the largest seasonal occasion in the available industry data, while birthdays lead the everyday occasions. That combination is a helpful reminder that thoughtful paper goods are not only a holiday purchase, they also have a place in ordinary celebrations and connection.
Methodology and sources
How this reference is maintained
This page uses publicly available primary or industry sources. We retain each statistic's original reporting period, link directly to the source and update the page when a key source publishes a newer figure. The page itself was last reviewed on October 27, 2026.
- Greeting Card Association, Greeting Card Facts, September 25, 2019 ↗
- Greeting Card Association, Stationery by the Numbers, 2022 ↗
- U.S. Postal Service, card and postcard volume history, fiscal year 2025 data ↗
- U.S. Postal Service, Daily printout, December 13, 2024 ↗
Looking for a thoughtful way to put these occasions into practice? Browse Kindred Bloom cards and invitations.