12 days of Christmas just got more expensive

Rocketing prices of partridges, pear trees and turtle doves has sent the cost of buying every item in the carol The 12 Days of Christmas soaring.

The 364 items repeated across all the verses would cost $101,119 (€75,505), an increase of 4.4% over last year, according to an annual US survey.

The Christmas Price Index compiled by PNC Wealth Management showed that those with the money to spend would end up with 12 drummers drumming, 22 pipers piping, 30 lords-a-leaping, 36 ladies dancing, 40 maids-a-milking, 42 swans-a-swimming, 42 geese-a-laying, 40 gold rings, 36 calling birds, 30 French hens, 22 turtle doves, and 12 partridges in pear trees.

But buying just one set of each verse in the song will cost $24,263 (€18,120) this year — a moderate 3.5% rise.

Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investment for PNC Wealth Management, said the core rate of increase is less than half the 9.2% jump last year.

Six items did not go up in cost this year: French hens, calling birds, gold rings, maids-a-milking, ladies dancing and lords-a-leaping.

Pipers piping and drummers drumming rose 3%.