This is the question being asked by the Salvation Army, with new research showing an alarming increase in the number of Australian children who won't receive Christmas presents this year.

As part of the Salvation Army's Christmas Appeal, research commissioned through Roy Morgan has revealed 1.6 million Australians with children under the age of 10 will not be providing a Christmas present to their children in 2017.

This figure is an increase of more than one million compared to last year. 

Meanwhile, a global survey reviewing consumer spending during the holiday period estimates the average Tasmanian will spend $1192 on gifts. 

The figure represents about 22 per cent of the average monthly income in the state and makes Tasmanian residents the lowest spenders across the country.

Major purchases include toys and games, clothing, alcohol, gift cards and electronics with Australia’s top Christmas spenders found in the ACT with $1563, Western Australia with $1509 and the Northern Territory with $1408. 

On the other end of the scale, according to the Salvation Army, 735,000 Australians know 10 or more families who will experience financial hardship or poverty this Christmas.

The research also revealed eight million people believe the general public isn't doing enough to help Australians in need, with 9.5 million revealing "paying for Christmas is getting harder and harder every year”.

Of those surveyed, 69 per cent or 13.2 million people believe Australians are losing the true meaning of Christmas.

The Examiner wants to know –  want does Christmas mean to you?