More than half of Irish people will re-gift or re-sell unwanted Christmas presents over the festive season, according to a new survey.

However, almost 45 per cent said this year they will keep them out of respect for those who gifted them.

The Lottoland survey found that Irish women are more ruthless with unwanted presents and will re-gift them to someone else, while men will more readily sell them online or in a sale to make extra cash.

Millennials are the biggest group that have a conscience and will keep the gifts out of respect to the giver, as are the people from Connacht and Ulster.

Meanwhile, Dubliners are most likely to return presents where they were bought, people in Munster are more likely to return them to the giver.

Twelve per cent will try to return them from where they were bought, 30 per cent will get rid of them by giving them to a charity shop, while 29 per cent will re-gift them in to save money.