The number is down from the survey high of 170 million people celebrating Halloween in some way last year. Those who do fete the day will also trim their budgets: The average celebrant expects to spend $75.03 on décor, costumes, candy and fun, down from $79.82 last year.
Overall, average spending on Halloween has increased 55% since 2005, with total spending estimated to reach $6.9 billion this year.
According to the early-September survey of 5,290 consumers, 44% of people plan to dress up and will spend a total of $2.6 billion on traditional and awe-inspiring costumes. Consumers will shell out $1.04 billion on children’s costumes and $1.22 billion on adult costumes.
Not all monsters have two legs: Fourteen percent of those celebrating will spend some $330 million on costumes for pets.
Celebrants will spend $2.08 billion on candy and $360 million on greeting cards. Halloween ranks second only to Christmas in terms of spending on decorations, and Americans plan to drop $1.96 billion on skeletons, fake cobwebs, mantel pieces and other festive decorations.
One-third (33%) began shopping before September 30. An additional 67% of consumers are shopping in October: Forty-four percent will begin in the first two weeks of the month, and 24% will wait until the final two weeks.
One-third (33%) will search online for costume ideas; another third (33%) will look in a store for new ideas; and a fifth (21%) will seek advice from friends or family. Additionally, 14% will check Facebook for inspiration, and 4% will review blogs. Nearly one in 10 (9%) will scour Pinterest for costume ideas, up from 7% last year. Of those buying or making costumes, the average person will spend $27.85, similar to the $28.65 spent last year.
Top Halloween activities are handing out candy (72%), decorating the home or yard, or both (47%), and carving a pumpkin (44%). About a third of Americans take their children trick-or-treating (32%) or attend or host a party (31%). About 20% of people visit a haunted house.