How much do Americans spend on Halloween each year? The exact numbers may surprise you. If you are celebrating Halloween in the Boston area, it’s safe to assume that you have made a Halloween related purchase within the past few weeks, whether it be candy, a costume, or festive decorations. The stats for this year’s Halloween spending are in and one thing is for sure.. Americans love Halloween.
Candy
Approximately 600 million pounds of candy are sold in the U.S. each year for Halloween, with 90 million pounds of that being chocolate sold during the week immediately preceding Halloween. In total, Americans spend $1.9 billion on Halloween candy each year. Which candy is the most popular? A recent survey for Halloween 2016 shows that Reese’s and candy corn are the most popular candies in the United States, and Starburst is the most popular in Massachusetts.
Costumes and Decorations
Survey shows that more than 157 Americans planned to celebrate Halloween, with 8 in 10 millennials saying they were planning something fun with their friends. Total Halloween spending topped $6.9 billion with the average American celebrating planning to spend about $74 on decorations, candy, costumes, and more. Which costumes were the most popular this year? According to Google, superheroes / super villain costumes beat out princesses for the number one spot. This year Harley Quinn and Joker costumes were the most popular, likely due to their new movie out last summer. This year there was also a rise in pet costumes. 2016 saw a higher popularity in people dressing their pets in costumes than ever before. The most popular pet costume? A pumpkin.
Sources: Consumer Reports
