How much money will be spent on Halloween this year?

Estimates from the National Retail Federation say spending will be at a record level

(AP File Photo/Marta Lavandier) (Marta Lavandier, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

It’s pretty clear that America loves Halloween.

That much will once again be evident by the amount of money being spent for the annual occasion this year.

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Total spending for Halloween is expected to reach $12.2 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation, which is up from the record $10.6 billion in spending last year.

Here were some of the highlights from the NRF’s projections:

  • An estimated 73% of people will participate in Halloween-related activities this year, which is up from 69% in 2022.
  • Spending on costumes is expected to reach $4.1 billion. It won’t just be on costumes for children, either. Of that figure, $2 billion is expected to be spent on adult costumes and $700 million on pet costumes. More on this below.
  • Spending on candy is expected to be $3.6 billion, which is up from $3.1 billion in 2022.
  • Money spent on Halloween greeting cards is actually projected to be down to $500 million this year after being roughly $600 million last year.

To expand on the type of costumes people are buying, the NRF put out a list of the most popular costumes for adults, kids and pets:

RankChildrenAdultsPets
1Spider-ManWitchPumpkin
2PrincessVampireHot dog
3GhostBarbieBat
4SuperheroBatmanBumblebee
5WitchCatSpider
6BatmanZombieDevil
7BarbiePirateCat
8ZombiePrincessLion
9MarioGhostGhost
10Wednesday AddamsSpider-ManWitch

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About the Author

Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.

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