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Oct 19, 2021 - Economy

Halloween 2021 will be pricier than ever

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Biggest area of Halloween spending
Re-created from Well Kept Wallet; Chart: Axios Visuals

Americans will spend more than $10 billion on Halloween this year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

Why it matters: Halloween continues to become a mainstream adult holiday, with 55% of households without kids saying they plan to celebrate, per the NRF.

By the numbers: While costumes tend to be where people shell out the most, 10% of people will spend more than $100 on candy alone this year, according to a poll by the Well Kept Wallet.

  • "On average, consumers plan to spend $102.74 on costumes, candy, decorations and greeting cards — $10 more than they planned to spend last year," the NRF said.
  • The record $10.14 billion spent on Halloween this year is up from $8.05 billion last year, "when the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention suggested most avoid trick-or-treating," as USA Today notes.

Even so, 58% of Americans participated in Halloween last year (even if just to hand out candy), and 65% percent plan to do so this year — which is comparable to the pre-pandemic figure of 68% in 2019, per the NRF.

  • While 82% of households will celebrate, a whopping 55% of those without children will too.
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