Statistics

Sweet Halloween statistics

Candy reigns supreme on Halloween. Candy compels trick-or-treaters young and old to don costumes and spend hours scouring neighborhoods for the best treats. Kids know which houses give out full-sized chocolate bars and which are offering other coveted goodies. Although consumer spending in October may not be as high as it is during the holiday season, Halloween shopping is considerable. Here is a look at some notable statistics for the season.

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  • Financial resource The Balance states that 171 million Americans celebrated Halloween in 2016. Total spending for the holiday reached more than $8.4 billion, which was an all-time record.
  • Around 65 percent of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween, including getting dressed up or handing out candy. The U.S. Census Bureau says 41.2 million trick-or-treaters are children between the ages of five and 14.
  • The National Retail Federation says 70 percent of Americans hand out candy, spending around $25 per person on sweets.
  • The amount of children in Canada participating in trick-or-treating was up 1.4 percent between 2015 and 2016 — totaling 3,870,938, according to Statistics Canada.
  • Roughly $418.8 million was spent on candy, confectionery and snack foods at large retailers in Canada in October 2015.
  • According to a survey conducted by RetailMeNot, the average Canadian plans to spend $178 on Halloween.
  • Many people associate Halloween with children, but the day gives everyone the chance to dress up. The NRF estimates that Americans will spend more money on adult costumes than those for children. Witches, pirates, vampires, Batman, and cats are the most popular adult costumes.
  • Halloween is celebrated in many different countries. In addition to the United States and Canada, areas of Europe, Asia and Latin America have their own Halloween celebrations.