Halloween Spending, 2005-2013 [CHART]

A combination of fewer celebrants and lower spending per celebrant means that spending on Halloween-related items such as decorations, costumes, and candy will be about $1 billion less this year than last, according to results from a recent NRF survey. At about $7 billion in total, though, spending will still be up from 2011 and years prior: in 2005, for example, total spending was forecast at just $3 billion.

This year, 158 million Americans are expected to celebrate Halloween, based on the survey results, down from a record high of 170 million last year. Projected per-person spend has also fallen this year, from $79.82 to $75.03.

The average consumer is expected to spend about $28 on costumes this year, also shelling out about $22 on candy, $21 on decorations, and $4 on greeting cards. Of those, candy will be the most popular buy (95.6% of celebrants), followed by decorations (69.7%) and costumes (65.3%). Read the rest at MarketingCharts.