Condom sales climb 30% on Valentine’s Day

The celebration of Love and Friendship Day in Mexico (Valentine’s Day) is known to boost condom sales by 15% to 30% , whereas the per capita consumption of condoms is estimated at 4.5 pieces a year .

According to Mexico’s National Association of Drugstores , condom sales are highest on February 14 , though the product movement starts on February 12 and ends on February 16.

The use of condoms in Mexico is relatively low compared with countries such as the United States and Germany , where people buy an average of 20 to 40 pieces per year .

According to a study conducted in 2017 on more than 10 thousand stores and pharmacies by the online platform ByPrice , Mexican buyers showed more interest on keywords such as “condón” and “preservativo” (condoms) in the days leading up to St. Valentine ’s. Online searches climaxed on February 13 and showed a decrease at the end of the holiday, increasing slightly on February 16 .

The market dynamics during the Day of Love and Friendship also cause condom prices to go up; however, ByPrice also detected that some stores opted for offering condom discounts to their customers.

According to the Mexican Youth Institute , 89% of young adults (25-29 years old) are sexually active ; however, many of them choose not to use condoms. Mexicans are usually ashamed to buy condoms personally at sales points, though others have claimed that condoms are way too expensive.

It is estimated that 150 million condoms are sold in Mexico each year . At the global scale, the condom market will likely reach a value of USD$7.97 billion in 2019 and USD$11.1 billion in 2023 , showing a 39.2% growth over a period of four years.

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