Halloween statistics 2023: How much will the UK spend?

Whether you don a scary outfit or just hand out sweets to trick-or-treaters, there’s no escaping Halloween. We looked into how much money is spent on Halloween from our bank accounts in the UK each year and some of the trends we’re seeing. Find out the latest Halloween statistics here.

The latest Halloween statistics

How much do we spend on Halloween in the UK?

Brits are expected to spend more than £1 billion on Halloween in 2023, according to a recent Finder survey. More than half (56%) planning to spend some money on celebrations, decorations or costumes, with an average spend of £36 per person.

This planned Halloween spending is 38% more than our original projection of £777 million based on past spending and shows that the UK is ready to embrace the spooky season this year.

But under the headline figure, it’s worth noting that 2 in 3 (67%) are planning to spend either nothing or less than £20 on Halloween.

Which generation spends the most on Halloween?

Generation Z are the big spenders when it comes to Halloween in 2023, with an impressive 87% of this group planning to spend an average of £46 each on celebrations, decorations and costumes. Millennials are also excited for Halloween this year, with three-quarters (76%) planning to spend an average of £41 each.

The enthusiasm for Halloween seems to decrease with age, however, as just 12.5% of the silent generation and 28% of baby boomers expecting to make a spooky purchase. Gen X sit somewhere in the middle, with just over half of this group (53%) planning to spend £33 each on average.

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• Table

Which region spends the most on Halloween?

Those in London are planning to spend the most this Halloween, with 7 in 10 splashing out with an average of £49.50 each. Meanwhile, Scotland is the only region where less than half (47%) of people are planning to spend on Halloween, and those in Northern Ireland are planning to spend the least, with an average spend of just under £30.

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How has Halloween spending changed over time?

Halloween spending in the UK was originally estimated to total £777 million in 2023, up 13% from a projected £687 million in 2022 and £607 million in 2021.

Halloween spending rose steadily between 2013 and 2016, from £230 million to £310 million. The following year then saw a big spike in spending, which rose by almost a third to £400 million, before a modest increase to £419 million in 2018. In 2019, spending was estimated to reach £474 million and £536 million in 2020.

• UK spend
• Table

• Halloween statistics: 2022

  The latest Halloween statistics

  • In 2022, Brits were expected to spend £28.95 million on pumpkins for Halloween, 15% more than the 2021 spend of £25.17 million.
  • In 2020, a quarter (25%) of Brits bought a pumpkin for Halloween.
  • The average price of a pumpkin was £1.69 in 2022, 22p more than 2021’s average of £1.46.
  • Halloween spending is estimated to total £607 million in 2021 and £687 million in 2022.

  How much do we spend on pumpkins?

  In 2020, a quarter of Brits (25%) said they would buy a pumpkin for Halloween. This means that over 17 million pumpkins were bought. The total cost of this in 2020 was £29.7 million. A combination of rising prices and a slight growth in the UK’s population means that this figure has increased by £4.6 million since 2017 (it was £25.1 million then). Using these figures, we estimate that the total spend will return to the value of £25.1 million in 2021, while it will rise significantly to £28.95 million in 2022.

  • Pumpkin spend
  • Table

  Year	Average cost per pumpkin	UK spend on pumpkins
  2017	£1.51	£25,067,111
  2018	£1.52	£27,330,870
  2019	£1.72	£29,154,212
  2020	£1.74	£29,666,437
  2021	£1.47	£25,166,128
  2022*	£1.48	£25,408,720

  How many Brits believe in ghosts?

  For some people, ghosts are more than just an option for a Halloween outfit. Surprisingly, over half (59%) of 18- to 24-year-olds either believe in or are unsure whether ghosts exist. At the other end of the spectrum, those aged 55+ are the least likely to believe in ghosts, although with only 53% not believing in them, this means that 47% still think that ghosts either maybe or definitely do exist.

  • Believers
  • Table

  Age	Yes	No	Maybe
  18–24	39%	41%	20%
  35–54	35%	44%	21%
  55+	26%	53%	21%

  How to carve the best jack-o’-lantern

  How to make the most out of your pumpkin

  It’s estimated that around 14.5 million pumpkins go to waste after Halloween each year in the UK. This means that out of the 17 million pumpkins bought for Halloween each year, only around 1 in 5 will be used for something else, with the rest going to waste. If you’re spending the money on a pumpkin, you may as well get the most out of your money, right? Here are some cost-saving ways you can reduce waste this Halloween:

  • Make pumpkin soup. This is a warm, delicious dish that can be made in a variety of ways. Whether you make it creamy with roasted pumpkins or with chilli and Thai coconut, there’s a flavour for everyone!
  • Create tasty pumpkin seeds. Scoop out the seeds, remove any pumpkin flesh still attached and then rinse them off. Place the seeds on a baking tray and add some olive oil and any additional ingredients you desire (e.g. salt, chilli), then mix the whole lot together. Bake the seeds in the oven until lightly golden brown. Yum!
  • Use the remains as compost. Cut up the leftovers of your jack-o’-lantern – this will speed up the composting time – and add it to the pile! If you don’t have a compost pile already thriving, to get one started, make sure you have a balance of brown (leaves, wood chips) and green (grass trimmings, kitchen waste) plant matter and enough water.

  Sources

  • Mintel
  • YouGov
  • World Economic Forum

  Click here for more research. For all media enquiries, please contact:

  Matt Mckenna
  Head of UK communications
  T: +44 20 8191 8806