Turtles, Spider-Man and Elsa, Oh my! Halloween by the numbers

Published 11:00 am Thursday, October 30, 2014

This Halloween is expected to be the most celebrated on record in a variety of ways, according to the National Retail Federation.

If you think you’re seeing more princesses, spooks and superheroes roaming the streets on trick-or-treat night in your neighborhood, there’s a reason.

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According to the National Retail Federation, a record number of Americans are expected to buy Halloween costumes this year. The group’s Halloween Spending Survey found that nearly 75 million adults plan to dress in costume, and the average person will spend more than $77 on costumes, candy and decorations.

“There’s no question that the variety of adult, child and even pet costumes now available has driven the demand and popularity of Halloween among consumers of all ages,” said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation. “With the holiday falling on a Friday this year, we fully expect there will be a record number of consumers taking to the streets, visiting haunted houses and throwing unforgettable celebrations.”

Here are the expected favorite costume choices among children:

Princess: 3.4 million

Animal: 3 million

Spider-Man: 2.6 million

“Frozen” character: 2.6 million

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 1.8 million

For adults, the choices are expected to be more traditional this year:

Witch: 4.8 million

Animal: 2.6 million

Batman character: 2 million

Pirate: 1.8 million

Here are some other eye-opening numbers concerning the holiday this year:

$7.4 billion: total spending on Halloween

$2.8 billion: total expected spending on Halloween costumes, including $1 billion on children’s costumes and $350 million on pet costume

$2.2 billion: total expected spending on Halloween candy