Halloween 2010: By the numbers

The National Retail Federation has already declared Halloween 2010 a success, with trick-or-treaters and party-goers shelling out more on costumes, candy, and decorations than they did last year. "People are expected to embrace Halloween with even more enthusiasm," says NRF chief executive Matt Shay. How much enthusiasm? Here are the numbers:

$66.28

Amount the average American will spend on Halloween this year

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

$23.37

Average expenditure on on a costume

$20.29

Average expenditure on candy

22%

Share of costumes purchased online this year

55%

Share of costumes purchased at Halloween pop-up stores

15,000

Total number of Halloween pop-up stores this year in the U.S.

$5.8 billion

Estimated total Halloween spending in 2010 — a 17.7% jump over last year

25%

Jump in sales of canned pumpkin

13%

Rise in sales of carving pumpkins

$15

Cost of Dremel's 6-volt Pumpkin Carving Kit tool

40.1%

Americans who say they'll dress up this year (up from 33 percent last year)

11.5%

Americans who say they'll dress up their pets

34%

Americans who believe in ghosts

Sources: Reuters, TheStreet.com, Business News Daily, Daily Star, Fox News