Oct 19, 2021 - Economy
Halloween 2021 will be pricier than ever

- Jennifer A. Kingson, author ofAxios What's Next

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.