The Real Ghost of Halloween: U.S. Inflation
According to data from the National Retail Federation, although Halloween spending in the U.S. reached a new high in 2023, real spending, adjusted for inflation, has nearly stagnated, indicating the erosion of consumer purchasing power due to rising prices. It is expected that total Halloween spending will reach $13.1 billion in 2025, an increase of about $1 billion compared to 2023, but when considering inflation, actual purchasing power has not significantly improved, with nominal spending equivalent to the value of the dollar in 2009, indicating that price increases have offset spending growth
According to data from the National Retail Federation, although Halloween spending in the U.S. has reached a new high this year, actual spending adjusted for inflation has nearly stagnated, highlighting the ongoing erosion of consumer purchasing power due to rising prices.
The data shows that total Halloween spending in the U.S. will reach $13.1 billion in 2025, covering categories such as costumes, decorations, and candy, an increase of about $1 billion compared to 2023. This growth continues the post-pandemic consumption recovery trend.
However, when considering inflation, actual purchasing power has not significantly improved. In terms of 2009 dollar value, this year's nominal spending of $13.1 billion is only equivalent to about $8.7 billion, which is basically on par with the actual purchasing power of 2023. This indicates that rising prices have offset the growth in nominal spending.
