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Which counties are the biggest spenders in Ireland this Christmas?

And how generous is Santa going to be in 2014?

IRISH PEOPLE WILL spend an average of €600 each this Christmas on presents, food and household bills.

According to the Irish League of Credit Unions, that’s up from €590 last year, and a big jump from our average spend of €527 in 2012.

Interestingly, however, ‘Santa’ will be less generous this year, despite the overall spending increase.

At Christmas 2014, Irish people will shell out an average of €180 on children’s presents, as opposed to €185 last year, and €164 in 2012.

The biggest financial headache found in the ILCU’s annual Christmas Spending Survey is heating the home, with 51% saying that was the “hardest cost to manage.”

The biggest spenders in the country are those in the 11 counties of Leinster outside Dublin, where the average spend will be €611.

The Dubs rank next, spending €608, and the people of Munster will pay to the tune of €592.

Christmas stock PA Archive / Press Association Images PA Archive / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Those in Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan – who outspent the rest of Ireland last year with a €630 average – will spend €590 on average this time around.

Christmas 2014 will cost least in Connacht, with an average spend of €578.

Various measures in the survey show that the mood of Irish people has improved over the last 12 months

For example, 29% say they feel better about their finances in the run-up to Christmas this year than they did in 2013.

That’s up from 25% when the same question was asked last December.

Some 30% of us fear that money worries will ruin Christmas, but that’s down from last year, when the figure was 33%.

Read: Christmas 2013 vs Christmas 2006: how they compare>

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