Halloween Costume Spending Stats & Trends for 2021 & 2022

As Halloween draws near, questions are beginning to arise on what this spooky season will look like for consumers. With raising (and now lowering) gas prices, a surge (and now steady decline) in home sales, and the recent Inflation Relief Package signed into law, it seems we’re headed into a relative unknown when it comes to Halloween and the upcoming holiday season. Do consumers want to spend their precious dollars on light-up pumpkins and sexy witch costumes, or are they cutting back this year and going the homemade route? We’ve collected some of the latest Halloween costume stats in 2021 & 2022 in order to take a closer look. 

Here’s what we do know from Halloween 2021 stats: 

• According to the National Retail Federation, 2021 saw an all-time high when it came to Halloween spending, reaching more than $10 billion. That’s billion with a big old capital B.
• Breakdown of Halloween spending saw the majority of those dollars going towards Halloween costumes ($3.3 billion) with decor trending a close second ($3.2 billion) followed by candy ($3 billion. 
• 2021 saw Halloween costume spending on adult-specific costumes rebound to near pre-pandemic levels trending to $1.49 billion from the $1.16 billion in 2020.
• The average person spent just over $100 on Halloween-related items. 
• 55% of adult-only households in the US celebrated Halloween in some way in 2021.
• 66% of households handed out candy.
• About one-third of the population feel that trick-or-treating alone at 13 or 14 is perfectly fine.
• Halloween-related property damage reached a staggering $11 million.
• The Pet costumes trend continues to rise in popularity with 20% of people planning on dressing up their furry friends.
• The parent tax is real with 79% of adults stealing candy from their children.
• The average retail price of a pumpkin is $5.24.

That’s great and all, but what does that mean for 2022 Halloween stats?

• Over-the-top celebrations are back, baby! An estimated 95% of the population has some sort of immunity against Covid allowing for major US and international cities, like New York, London, and Madrid, to plan for big Halloween events for the first time in two years. 
• Haunted houses will gain a resurgence with the lifting of Covid restrictions and will remain a more popular destination trend with Gen Z than any other generation. 
• Gen Z will reign supreme when it comes to overall Halloween celebration with curated Insta-worthy moments and TikTok trends.
• The early bird will get the Halloween worm. Based on data collected by the NRF, more than two-thirds of adults have already picked out their spooky style as early as August.
• While some people do shop as early as the beginning of September, the majority of spend (approximately 45%)  is estimated to trend towards the end of September and the first two weeks of October (39%).
• It’s only going up from here. If Halloween retail trends continue, retailers, like 3Wishes, can expect to see an increase in Halloween costume-specific revenue exceeding that seen in the last five years. 
• Nothing beats a classic. Halloween 2021 saw the majority of adults sticking with the tried and true witch, vampire, ghost, cat, or pirate costumes, and based on data collected by us at 3Wishes, that Halloween trend is here to stay in 2022.
  
• Consumers will continue to look to digital outlets for inspiration with 30% combing the internet for the latest Halloween trends in 2022.
• Social media will be a huge Halloween trend driver with 20% of people turning to Facebook for ideas.

Now that we’ve reviewed some of the statistics, it’s safe to say that we can anticipate a record-breaking 2022 Halloween season, much to our sexy Halloween costume-loving relief. 

So, where does one go to procure said sexy costumes? Why, 3Wishes of course! With thousands of standard and plus size costumes, available in sizes from extra small to 6X, 3Wishes offers a little something spooky for everyone. Don’t worry fellas, we didn’t forget about you! 3Wishes offers nearly 100 men’s costumes designed to perfectly complement your fellow party goer. 

In 2022, plan it out, shop early, and don those sexy Halloween costumes at your party of choice. Happy haunting!