Americans spend 11.6 billion dollars each year on Halloween purchases. Candy consumption reaches 600 million pounds of chocolate. Participation covers 160 million people across the country.
Key Takeaways
- Americans eat 36 million pounds of candy corn during Halloween season each year
- 67% of Americans plan to wear costumes for Halloween 2023, highest in five years
- U.S. carved 223 million pumpkins for Halloween porches in 2023
- In 2023, U.S. consumers planned to spend a record $11.6 billion on Halloween-related purchases including costumes, decorations, and candy
- 160 million Americans plan to celebrate Halloween in 2023
Halloween sees millions of trick or treaters each year, making it one of the biggest nights.
Related reading
01 · Category
Candy Consumption26 stats
01
Americans eat 36 million pounds of candy corn during Halloween season each year
02
Over 20 million pumpkin pies are sold in the U.S. from September to November annually
03
U.S. households buy an average of 8.6 bags of candy for trick-or-treating, totaling 245 pieces per home
04
Chocolate accounts for 75% of Halloween candy sales, with 500 million pounds consumed yearly
05
90% of parents buy their kids' favorite candy for Halloween, spending $25 on average
06
Candy corn production peaks at 35 million pounds for Halloween
07
Average trick-or-treater collects 92 pieces of candy, consuming about 4,800 calories
08
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the top Halloween candy, with 200 million cups distributed annually
09
50% of Halloween candy goes uneaten, leading to 10 billion pieces of leftover sweets yearly
10
Pumpkin spice flavored candies saw a 300% sales increase since 2011
11
U.S. consumes 600 million pounds of chocolate candy for Halloween
12
Snickers bars sell 18 million units during Halloween week alone
13
41% of Americans admit to stealing candy from their kids' Halloween haul
14
Sour candies grew 25% in Halloween popularity from 2020-2023
15
Average candy bowl has 1,400 pieces, depleted by 500 by end of trick-or-treating night
16
Gummy candies represent 15% of Halloween sales, with 100 million bags sold
17
70% of Halloween candy is chocolate-based, per NCA data
18
Tootsie Rolls production ramps to 16 million pounds for Halloween
19
25% of households buy vegan or alternative candies for Halloween 2023
20
Skittles distributes 250 million packages for Halloween annually
21
Candy apples number 5 million made at home yearly for Halloween
22
60% of parents replace chocolate with fruit-flavored treats post-Halloween
23
M&M's sells 100 million bags for Halloween, colorful varieties up 40%
24
U.S. Halloween caramel apple production hits 30 million units
25
35% of candy corn is thrown away uneaten after Halloween
26
Twix bars see 20% sales boost in October, 50 million sold
Interpretation
Candy Consumption Interpretation
America’s Halloween ritual has become a gluttonous, guilt-ridden ballet of industrially-scaled sweetness, where we collectively buy, hide, steal, and discard enough candy to build a monument to our own delightful, wasteful excess.
02 · Category
Costumes26 stats
01
67% of Americans plan to wear costumes for Halloween 2023, highest in five years
02
Top costume for adults in 2023 was Barbie, with 13% choosing it
03
48 million women planned costumes in 2023, spending $1,800 on average per household
04
Pet costumes favored witch outfits for dogs (18%) and pumpkins for cats (12%) in 2023
05
69% of parents buy costumes for kids under 12, average cost $38 per child
06
Superhero costumes topped kids' choices at 15% in 2023 NRF survey
07
22% of adults opt for 'sexy' costumes, down from 28% in 2019
08
Group costumes rose 10% in popularity, with 25% participating in 2023
09
37 million Americans dressed pets in costumes in 2023
10
Princess costumes held 12% of girls' market share for 2023
11
41% make their own costumes, saving $20-50 per outfit on average
12
Zombie costumes ranked #3 for adults, chosen by 8% in 2023
13
Average time spent planning adult costume is 5.2 hours, per 2022 survey
14
16% chose Spider-Man as top superhero costume in 2023 kids' poll
15
Vintage and 80s costumes surged 30% in Etsy sales for 2023 Halloween
16
55% of Gen Z prefer pop culture costumes like Wednesday Addams (10%)
17
Men's top costume was vampire at 7%, women favored witch at 11% in 2023
18
28% of costumes bought online via Amazon in 2023
19
Baby costumes market grew 18% to $300 million in 2023
20
9% chose animal costumes for adults, highest for family matching
21
Couples' costumes like Mario and Luigi up 15% in 2023 searches
22
Pirate costumes steady at 6% popularity for kids over decade
23
45% of costumes include makeup or accessories costing extra $15 average
24
Inflation raised costume prices 8% in 2023 to $45 average adult outfit
25
12% of adults go costume-free but 80% attend events
26
Stranger Things costumes boosted 50% sales in 2022 carryover to 2023
Interpretation
Costumes Interpretation
While Americans are collectively spending more time and money than ever to transform into Barbie, witches, and zombies—with even the family dog getting in on the act as a miniature sorcerer—the true horror of the season might just be the receipt showing how much that five hours of planning and group coordination actually cost.
03 · Category
Decorations and Events27 stats
01
U.S. carved 223 million pumpkins for Halloween porches in 2023
02
47% of Americans planned home decorations in 2023, spending $48 average
03
Illuminated decorations like jack-o'-lanterns number 145 million annually
04
Haunted houses visited by 42 million people yearly, with 1,200 professional attractions
05
38% host Halloween parties, decorating with $65 budget average
06
Pumpkin patches attract 100 million visitors October annually
07
72 million buy decorations, favoring inflatables (25%) and skeletons (20%)
08
Corn mazes number 450 commercial ones, drawing 6 million visitors
09
116 million participate in carving pumpkins, using 26% of U.S. crop
10
Outdoor decorations cover 50 million homes, with lights up 20% in 2023
11
Trunk-or-treat events grew to 10,000 nationwide in 2023
12
21% decorate offices, spending $20 per workspace average
13
Fake spider webs used in 35 million homes, top decor item
14
Halloween parades draw 2 million spectators in NYC alone yearly
15
65% of decorations now LED-lit, saving 50% energy vs traditional bulbs
16
Pumpkin catapult contests feature 50 events, launching 1,000 pumpkins
17
30 million hay bales used for Halloween displays nationwide
18
Virtual haunted houses viewed 15 million times online in 2023 peak
19
44% use fog machines in decor setups, costing $40 average
20
Community pumpkin weigh-offs total 100 events, heaviest at 2,700 lbs
21
Graveyard scenes set up in 18 million yards, with 40% adding motion sensors
22
75 million jack-o'-lanterns displayed publicly in festivals
23
DIY decorations from Dollar Tree saved consumers $500 million in 2023
24
55% of millennials host themed parties with elaborate decor
25
Laser light shows replaced 10% of traditional projectors in haunts
26
12 million attend Halloween markets and craft fairs annually
27
Inflatable decorations market hit $1 billion, with 30 ft models popular
Interpretation
Decorations and Events Interpretation
Americans clearly believe that if you're going to spend billions collectively turning the nation into a giant, spooky theme park every October, you might as well do it with energy-efficient LEDs and a side of competitive pumpkin agriculture.
More related reading
04 · Category
Economic Impact30 stats
01
In 2023, U.S. consumers planned to spend a record $11.6 billion on Halloween-related purchases including costumes, decorations, and candy
02
Halloween spending per household in the U.S. averaged $108.17in 2023, marking a 15% increase from 2022
03
The global Halloween market was valued at $7.4 billion in 2020 and projected to grow to $12.5 billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 7.7%
04
Americans spent $3.9 billion on Halloween candy in 2023, accounting for 31% of total Halloween expenditures
05
U.S. Halloween costume sales reached $3.8 billion in 2023, with online sales comprising 40% of purchases
06
Decorations accounted for $4.5 billion in U.S. Halloween spending in 2023, up 12% from the previous year
07
Pet costumes contributed $530 million to Halloween spending in 2023, a 14% rise year-over-year
08
Total U.S. Halloween greeting cards sales hit $235 million in 2023
09
32% of Halloween spending in 2023 occurred after October 20th, driven by last-minute shoppers
10
The average American household spent $92on Halloween candy in 2022
11
Halloween retail sales in the U.S. generated $9 billion in 2019 pre-pandemic
12
Online Halloween sales surged 37% year-over-year in 2021, reaching $2.1 billion
13
Candy manufacturers see 90% of annual candy corn sales in the month leading up to Halloween
14
U.S. pumpkin industry generates $264 million annually from fresh pumpkins alone, peaking at Halloween
15
Haunted attractions industry earned $330 million in ticket sales in 2022
16
Halloween drives 10% of annual U.S. chocolate sales, equating to over $2.5 billion
17
Spirit Halloween stores generated $1.2 billion in revenue in 2022 across 1,400 locations
18
Average Halloween party budget per U.S. household was $65in 2023
19
72 million Americans purchased Halloween decorations in 2023, spending an average of $45 each
20
U.S. candy sales for Halloween total 600 million pounds annually, valued at $2.7 billion
21
International Halloween spending outside U.S. reached $1.5 billion in 2022, led by Europe
22
41% of U.S. consumers bought Halloween merchandise at discount stores in 2023
23
Halloween boosts U.S. floral sales by 20%, with $100 million in pumpkin-themed arrangements
24
Average spend on kids' costumes was $47in 2023, up from $38 in 2019
25
U.S. Halloween makeup sales hit $350 million in 2023
26
Pop-up Halloween stores increased 20% in 2023, contributing to $500 million in seasonal retail
27
28% of Halloween budget goes to food and drinks, averaging $31 per household
28
Global costume jewelry sales for Halloween exceed $200 million yearly
29
U.S. trick-or-treat candy distribution costs retailers $400 million in logistics annually
30
Halloween-themed alcohol sales spike 25% in October, generating $800 million
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
Americans have collectively decided that the only proper way to confront existential dread is to dress the dog as a hot dog, buy $12 billion worth of synthetic cobwebs, and eat enough candy corn to single-handedly float an entire industry, all while pretending this is a casual holiday and not a massive economic engine.
05 · Category
Participation and Safety25 stats
01
160 million Americans plan to celebrate Halloween in 2023
02
50% of U.S. households give out candy, reaching 46 million trick-or-treaters
03
Pedestrian injuries spike 43% on Halloween vs average day for kids
04
82% of parents check candy for tampering, though incidents rare at 1 per million
05
Drunk driving arrests increase 12% on Halloween night
06
35 million adults attend block parties or events on Halloween
07
Flashlight use by 70% of trick-or-treaters reduces accidents by 50%
08
Vandalism reports rise 20% on Halloween, with 5,000 incidents in major cities
09
96% of children trick-or-treat in groups with adults, per safety guidelines
10
Carbon monoxide poisonings from generators up 15% at Halloween events
11
121 million participate in any Halloween activity in 2023
12
Sex offender restrictions limit 10,000 from door-to-door on Halloween in U.S.
13
Reflective tape on costumes cuts nighttime visibility risks by 80%
14
27 states have official trick-or-treat times, averaging 5-8 PM
15
Hospital visits for falls in costumes increase 25% for adults over 65
16
70% of parents set curfews for teens on Halloween
17
Fire incidents from decorations rise 30%, causing $22 million damage yearly
18
83% use glow sticks for visibility, popular safety measure
19
Missing children reports peak at 2,500 on Halloween night
20
Allergy reactions to candy affect 1 in 13 kids, prompting epi-pen readiness
21
65% of neighborhoods organize safe walks, reducing traffic risks
22
Razor blade in candy myths debunked, zero cases since 1960s
23
40 million carve pumpkins safely with adult supervision
24
Drunken pedestrian deaths up 37% on Halloween
25
92% of families review safety rules before trick-or-treating
Interpretation
Participation and Safety Interpretation
While 160 million Americans treat Halloween with a spooky enthusiasm equal to 46 million candy-seekers, our collective vigilance—from checking treats and using flashlights to setting curfews—creates a remarkably safe, if statistically perilous, national pageant where the scariest thing is often the drunk driving arrests, not the mythical razor blades.
Reference
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APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Halloween Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/halloween-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Halloween Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/halloween-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Halloween Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/halloween-statistics.
Sources & references
67 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level