Americans plan to spend a record $13.5 billion on Halloween in 2026, up from $13.1 billion in 2025, or $115.14 per person, according to the National Retail Federation’s September 2026 survey. Costumes lead at $4.4 billion, followed by decorations at $4.3 billion and candy at $4.1 billion, while 74% of consumers plan to celebrate.
Halloween Spending in the US 2026
Halloween Spending in the US 2026 is on track for another record, even as shoppers say they are watching their budgets. The National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics project $13.5 billion in total spending, a gain of about $400 million over last year. The average celebrant plans to spend $115.14, barely above the $114.45 of 2025. The totals grow because more people join in and each pays a little more, not because anyone is splurging. NRF’s Allison Zeller said consumers keep Halloween a spending priority while approaching the season with affordability in mind.
Three categories carry the holiday. Costumes, decorations, and candy each draw about $4 billion, and greeting cards add $0.8 billion. Candy is the most common purchase, since 96% of shoppers buy it. Prices tell a harder story. A 100-piece bag of Halloween candy costs about $16.96, and candy prices rose 78% from 2020 to 2025. This report covers yearly totals, each spending category, shopper behavior, and how the numbers compare with income, inflation, and credit card debt. NRF surveyed 7,889 consumers from September 1 to 9, 2026.
Interesting Facts About Halloween Spending in the US 2026
| Fact | Data (2026 Unless Noted) |
|---|---|
| Total Halloween spending | $13.5 billion (2025: $13.1 billion) |
| Average spending per person | $115.14 (2025: $114.45) |
| Consumers planning to celebrate | 74% (2025: 73%) |
| Costume spending | $4.4 billion; 71% of shoppers buy |
| Decoration spending | $4.3 billion; 78% of shoppers buy |
| Candy spending | $4.1 billion; 96% of shoppers buy |
| Greeting card spending | $0.8 billion; 42% of shoppers buy |
| Pet costume spending | $0.92 billion |
| Pumpkin spending | $771 million, down 7% from $829 million |
| Candy price increase, 2020 to 2025 | 78% |
| Survey sample | 7,889 consumers, margin of error ±1.1 points |
All figures except the last three rows come straight from NRF’s 2026 survey, which asks what people plan to buy. A planned figure is not a sales count, and the NRF survey measures intentions in early September. The pumpkin numbers come from a summary of the NRF data. The candy price rise comes from a Finance Buzz analysis reported by local news outlets, and the survey margin of error comes from the survey notes.
The facts show a market with steady demand and rising prices. Total spending is 53% higher than in 2019 and 68% higher than in 2020, both calculated from NRF totals and neither adjusted for inflation. Per-person spending rose 33% from the 2019 level of $86.27. Shoppers keep buying, and the extra dollars mostly cover higher prices and a few more celebrants. Every section below pairs a chart with a table so each number sits next to its date.
Halloween Spending by Year in the US 2026
Total planned Halloween spending, billions of dollars
2019 ██████████████████████████ $8.8B
2020 ████████████████████████ $8.05B
2021 ██████████████████████████████ $10.14B
2022 ███████████████████████████████ $10.6B
2023 ████████████████████████████████████ $12.2B
2024 ██████████████████████████████████ $11.6B
2025 ███████████████████████████████████████ $13.1B
2026 ████████████████████████████████████████ $13.5B
| Year | Total Spending | Average Per Person |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $8.8 billion | $86.27 |
| 2020 | $8.05 billion | n/a |
| 2021 | $10.14 billion | $102.74 |
| 2022 | $10.6 billion | About $100 |
| 2023 | $12.2 billion | $108.24 |
| 2024 | $11.6 billion | $103.63 |
| 2025 | $13.1 billion | $114.45 |
| 2026 | $13.5 billion | $115.14 |
Data source: National Retail Federation annual Halloween consumer survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, 2019 to 2026 (2026 release: September 22, 2026).
Spending dipped to $8.05 billion in 2020, when the pandemic cut participation, then jumped 25% to $10.14 billion in 2021. It reached $12.2 billion in 2023, fell 5% to $11.6 billion in 2024, and set a record of $13.1 billion in 2025. The 2026 forecast of $13.5 billion adds about 3%, calculated from NRF’s rounded totals. The gain is smaller than last year’s 13% jump, which suggests the market is settling at a higher level and not accelerating.
Inflation explains part of the climb. Statista noted that the $13.1 billion of 2025 equals about $8.7 billion in 2009 dollars, about the same as 2023 in real terms. Per-person spending of $115.14 is the highest NRF has recorded. The totals are projections, and actual sales can differ from what shoppers say in early September. Late-season buying often lifts the final number, but NRF does not publish a final tally.
Halloween Spending by Category in the US 2026
Halloween spending by category, 2026, billions of dollars
Costumes ████████████████████████████████████████ $4.4B
Decorations ███████████████████████████████████████ $4.3B
Candy █████████████████████████████████████ $4.1B
Greeting cards ███████ $0.8B
| Category | 2019 | 2023 | 2026 | Shoppers Buying (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costumes | $3.2 billion | $4.1 billion | $4.4 billion | 71% |
| Decorations | $2.7 billion | $3.9 billion | $4.3 billion | 78% |
| Candy | $2.6 billion | $3.6 billion | $4.1 billion | 96% |
| Greeting cards | n/a | n/a | $0.8 billion | 42% (up from 38%) |
Data source: National Retail Federation Halloween surveys (2019, 2023, and 2026), Prosper Insights & Analytics.
Decorations grew fastest. Spending climbed from $2.7 billion in 2019 to $4.3 billion in 2026, an increase of 59%, calculated from NRF totals. Candy rose 58% over the same period and costumes rose 38%. Decorations now sit within $100 million of costumes. Home yards with large skeletons and lighting have turned Halloween into a home-decor season, and that shift shows in the gap between the two categories.
Participation tells a different story. Candy is bought by 96% of shoppers and decorations by 78%, so those categories reach nearly everyone. Costumes reach 71%. Greeting cards reached 42% of shoppers, up from 38% a year earlier, and they now account for $0.8 billion. High participation keeps candy spending steady, while costume and decoration totals depend more on how much each buyer chooses to spend.
Halloween Candy Spending & Prices in the US 2026
Planned candy spending, billions of dollars
2019 █████████████████████████ $2.6B
2023 ███████████████████████████████████ $3.6B
2026 ████████████████████████████████████████ $4.1B
| Candy Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Planned candy spending (2026) | $4.1 billion |
| Shoppers buying candy | 96% |
| Consumers who hand out candy | 61% |
| Candy price increase, 2020 to 2025 | 78%, more than triple overall inflation |
| 100-piece bag of Halloween candy (2026) | About $16.96 |
| 55-piece bag of Reese’s (2026) | About $29, up over 50% since 2020 |
| Candy a fixed budget buys vs 2020 | About 40% less |
| Wholesale cocoa price change | Down about 70% |
Data source: National Retail Federation (September 22, 2026); Finance Buzz and InvestorsObserver analyses as reported by local news (October 2026); Talk Business & Politics.
Candy is the one category where shoppers pay more and get less. Prices rose 78% between 2020 and 2025, more than triple the rate of overall inflation. A 100-piece bag costs about $16.96, and a 55-piece bag of Reese’s runs about $29. InvestorsObserver estimates that the same budget buys about 40% less candy than in 2020. Spending still rose from $3.6 billion in 2023 to $4.1 billion, because 96% of households buy and few skip the tradition.
Chocolate drives the price gains even though wholesale cocoa prices have fallen about 70%. Analysts quoted in local news cite smaller cocoa supplies and higher transportation and packaging costs for the gap, and some makers put less cocoa in their recipes. Shoppers who stick to a budget buy fewer pieces or switch to cheaper candy, and 61% of consumers still plan to hand out candy.
Halloween Decoration & Pumpkin Spending in the US 2026
Average spend per buyer, 2026 vs prior year, dollars
Costume buyers, 2026 ████████████████████████████████████████ $59.29
Costume buyers, prior ███████████████████████████████████ $52.47
Decoration buyers, 2026 █████████████████████████████████████ $54.95
Decoration buyers, prior ███████████████████████████████ $46.69
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Decoration spending (2026) | $4.3 billion |
| Shoppers buying decorations | 78% |
| Average spend, decoration buyers | $54.95 (prior year: $46.69) |
| Average spend, costume buyers | $59.29 (prior year: $52.47) |
| Americans planning to buy a pumpkin | About 144 million (42%) |
| Share planning to carve a pumpkin, 2025 | 56% |
| Pumpkin spending (2026) | $771 million (2025: $829 million) |
| Change in pumpkin spending | -7% |
| Top inspiration source for decorations | Retail stores and costume shops (31%) |
Data source: National Retail Federation Halloween survey (September 2026), as summarized by Finder and Haunted Attraction Network.
Decoration buyers plan to spend $54.95, up 18% from $46.69 in the prior survey, and costume buyers plan $59.29, up 13% from $52.47. Both gains come from NRF’s published averages. Higher per-buyer spending explains why category totals rise while participation stays flat. Retail stores and costume shops are the top source of decoration ideas at 31%, which gives brick-and-mortar chains a strong role even as online sales grow.
Pumpkins moved the other way. About 144 million Americans, or 42%, plan to buy a pumpkin, and pumpkin spending is projected to fall 7% to $771 million. The share planning to carve one is well below the 56% of 2025. Pumpkin prices and weather add uncertainty to the forecast.
Halloween Costume Spending in the US 2026
Costume spending by wearer, billions of dollars (scale: $2.0B = 40 blocks)
Adult costumes ████████████████████████████████████████ $2.0B
Children's costumes ██████████████████████████████ $1.5B
Pet costumes ██████████████████ $0.92B
| Metric | Value (2026) |
|---|---|
| Total costume spending | $4.4 billion |
| Shoppers buying a costume | 71% |
| Adult costumes | $2.0 billion |
| Children’s costumes | $1.5 billion |
| Pet costumes | $0.92 billion |
| Adults planning to dress in costume | 50% |
| Top adult costumes | Witch, vampire, Batman, Spider-Man |
| Top children’s costumes | Comic book or superhero characters, princess, witch, ghost |
| Top pet costumes | Pumpkin (11.6%), hot dog (5.9%), ghost (2.8%) |
| Retail and costume shops as costume inspiration | 26% (second most popular source) |
Data source: National Retail Federation Halloween survey (September 22, 2026) and Talk Business & Politics summary of the NRF report.
Costumes are the largest category at $4.4 billion. Adults account for $2.0 billion of it, children for $1.5 billion, and pets for $0.92 billion. Half of adults plan to dress up. The leading adult picks are witches, vampires, Batman, and Spider-Man, and children favor superheroes, princesses, witches, and ghosts. Retail stores and costume shops rank second for costume ideas at 26%.
Pet costumes are a growing niche. Pet owners plan to spend $0.92 billion, and the pumpkin leads at 11.6% of pet costume choices, followed by the hot dog at 5.9% and the ghost at 2.8%. The pet category reflects how households treat animals as family, and the same trend shows in the $158 billion the US pet industry reached in 2025, per pet industry statistics in the US.
Halloween Shopper Behavior & Participation in the US 2026
Share of consumers by Halloween activity or purchase, 2026
Candy ████████████████████████████████████████ 96%
Decorations ████████████████████████████████ 78%
Plan to celebrate ███████████████████████████████ 74%
Costumes ██████████████████████████████ 71%
Hand out candy █████████████████████████ 61%
Dress in costume (adults) █████████████████████ 50%
Greeting cards ██████████████████ 42%
| Metric | Value (2026) |
|---|---|
| Consumers planning to celebrate | 74% (2025: 73%; 2019: 68%) |
| Hand out candy | 61% |
| Dress in costume (adults) | 50% |
| Shoppers starting in September or earlier | About half |
| Top shopping destination | Discount stores |
| Specialty and costume stores | About one third of shoppers |
| Shopping online | About 27% |
| Americans planning to buy a pumpkin | 42% |
| Survey sample and dates | 7,889 consumers, September 1 to 9, 2026 |
Data source: National Retail Federation Halloween Data and Trends page and 2026 press release; Talk Business & Politics; Coresight Research (2019 comparison).
Participation holds at a high level. 74% of consumers plan to celebrate, up one point from 2025 and six points above the 68% of 2019. Handing out candy is the most common activity at 61%, followed by wearing a costume at 50%. About half of shoppers start in September or earlier, and discount stores are the top destination. Specialty shops draw about one third of shoppers and about 27% shop online.
Spending per person remains small against income. The $115.14 average equals about 0.13% of the $87,460 median household income reported in US household income statistics, a calculation that compares per-person spending with household income and so overstates the share for a single celebrant. Even so, Halloween ranks as a modest holiday for most budgets. The early start gives shoppers time to compare prices, which fits NRF’s finding that consumers take a strategic approach.
Halloween Spending Per Person, Inflation & Credit Card Debt in the US 2026
Average planned spending per person, dollars
2019 ██████████████████████████████ $86.27
2021 ████████████████████████████████████ $102.74
2023 ██████████████████████████████████████ $108.24
2024 ████████████████████████████████████ $103.63
2025 ████████████████████████████████████████ $114.45
2026 ████████████████████████████████████████ $115.14
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average spending per person (2026) | $115.14 |
| Change from 2025 | +0.6% (calculated) |
| Change from 2019 | +33% (calculated) |
| Total spending change, 2019 to 2026 | +53% (calculated) |
| 2025 spending in 2009 dollars | About $8.7 billion |
| US credit card balances, Q2 2026 | $1.263 trillion |
| Record credit card balances (Q4 2025) | $1.277 trillion |
| Average APR on current card accounts, Q2 2026 | 20.94% |
| Credit card balances 30+ days delinquent, Q1 2026 | 2.92% |
Data source: National Retail Federation; Statista inflation-adjusted Halloween spending chart (2025); Federal Reserve Bank of New York Household Debt and Credit Report (Q1 and Q2 2026) as reported by LendingTree.
Per-person spending grew 0.6% this year and 33% since 2019. Total spending grew 53% over the same stretch, so the larger gain comes from higher participation, which rose from 68% to 74%, and not from bigger individual budgets. Real spending has barely moved. In 2009 dollars, the $13.1 billion of 2025 is about $8.7 billion, roughly equal to 2023. Higher prices, especially for candy, take a bigger share of each budget.
Household debt adds a risk. Credit card balances reached $1.263 trillion in the second quarter of 2026, just under the record $1.277 trillion of late 2025, and the average APR sits at 20.94%. Only 2.92% of balances are 30 days delinquent, so most households keep up. Shoppers who put costumes and decorations on a card pay interest if they carry the balance, and readers can compare these totals against credit card debt statistics in the US.
Frequently Asked Questions About Halloween Spending in the US 2026
How much will Americans spend on Halloween in 2026?
The National Retail Federation projects $13.5 billion in total Halloween spending in 2026, up from the record $13.1 billion in 2025.
How much does the average person spend on Halloween?
The average celebrant plans to spend $115.14 in 2026, compared with $114.45 in 2025.
How much is spent on Halloween costumes in 2026?
Costumes total $4.4 billion: $2.0 billion for adults, $1.5 billion for children, and $0.92 billion for pets. 71% of shoppers plan to buy one.
How much is spent on Halloween candy in 2026?
Candy spending is projected at $4.1 billion, with 96% of shoppers planning to buy sweets.
How much is spent on Halloween decorations in 2026?
Decoration spending is projected at $4.3 billion, and 78% of shoppers plan to buy decorations.
What percentage of Americans celebrate Halloween?
74% of consumers plan to celebrate in 2026, up from 73% in 2025 and 68% in 2019.
How much have Halloween candy prices risen?
Halloween candy prices rose 78% between 2020 and 2025, more than triple the rate of inflation. A 100-piece bag costs about $16.96.
How much is spent on pet costumes?
Pet owners plan to spend $0.92 billion on pet costumes. The most popular choices are a pumpkin (11.6%), a hot dog (5.9%), and a ghost (2.8%).
How much is spent on greeting cards for Halloween?
Halloween greeting cards account for $0.8 billion, and 42% of shoppers plan to buy them, up from 38% in 2025.
Are fewer Americans buying pumpkins in 2026?
About 144 million Americans (42%) plan to buy a pumpkin, and pumpkin spending is projected to fall 7% to $771 million.
When do people start Halloween shopping?
About half of shoppers start in September or earlier. Discount stores are the top destination, specialty stores draw about one third of shoppers, and about 27% shop online.
How has Halloween spending changed since 2019?
Total spending rose from $8.8 billion in 2019 to $13.5 billion in 2026, an increase of 53%. Per-person spending rose from $86.27 to $115.14. Neither figure adjusts for inflation.
What are the most popular Halloween costumes in 2026?
Adults favor witches, vampires, Batman, and Spider-Man. Children favor comic book characters and superheroes, princesses, witches, and ghosts.
How was the NRF Halloween survey conducted?
NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics surveyed 7,889 consumers from September 1 to 9, 2026. The margin of error is ±1.1 percentage points.
Is 2026 a record year for Halloween spending?
Yes, on NRF’s projection. The $13.5 billion forecast tops the previous record of $13.1 billion set in 2025.
Did Halloween spending ever fall?
Yes. Spending dipped to $8.05 billion in 2020 and fell 5% to $11.6 billion in 2024 before rebounding to $13.1 billion in 2025.
How much do costume buyers spend?
Costume buyers plan to spend an average of $59.29, up from $52.47 in the prior survey. Adults account for $2.0 billion of costume spending and children for $1.5 billion.
How much do decoration buyers spend?
Decoration buyers plan to spend an average of $54.95, up from $46.69. Total decoration spending is $4.3 billion.
How much does a bag of Halloween candy cost?
A 100-piece bag of Halloween candy costs about $16.96 in 2026, and a 55-piece bag of Reese’s runs about $29.
Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.