Halloween spending in Australia set to reach $450m

Only 21% of Australians are planning to celebrate the holiday.

As the spooky season approaches, Australians are gearing up for Halloween, with spending projected to reach $450m.

According to new data from Roy Morgan, it will be driven by 21% of Australians planning to celebrate the holiday. Amongst those participating, each individual is expected to spend an average of $93.

“From costumes to cosmetics to confectionary, Australians are enjoying getting ghoulish during the lead up to Thursday October 31,” said Paul Zahra, CEO of Australian Retailers Association. 

“Many adults are also getting into the spooky season and hosting adult parties,” he added.

Key spending categories include trick-or-treating supplies (45%), treats for trick-or-treaters (38%), Halloween costumes (37%), home decorations (32%), and attending or hosting events (18%). 

Australians aged 35-59 are the most likely to celebrate at 34%, followed by those under 35 at 25%. 

Despite the anticipated boost, Halloween spending is down $40m compared to last year’s $490m total. Zahra noted that this decline reflects ongoing challenges in discretionary spending due to cost-of-living pressures.

“Despite this, Australians continue to get into the spirit of these celebratory seasonal moments, and many retailers are well poised to take advantage of those opportunities,” he said.