Key findings:
- 12% of Britons plan to dress up for Halloween this year, while 16% say their children or grandchildren will.
- Buying new costumes is the most popular option for both adults dressing themselves (42%), with nearly a quarter (24%) say they’ll buy a second-hand costume for themselves.
- 60% of Halloween costume buyers plan to shop through online marketplaces, while 82% expect to spend less than £30.
Halloween is approaching, and for some Britons, preparations include finding costumes for themselves, their children or other members of their household. New YouGov Surveys data explores Halloween costume plans among British adults, including preferences for buying new outfits, making costumes at home and reusing existing ones.
Who's dressing up for Halloween in Britain this year?
Around one in eight Britons (12%) say they plan to dress up for Halloween this year, while 16% say their children or grandchildren will be wearing costumes.
Fewer proportions say someone else in their household plans to dress up (6%) or expect to dress up their pets (2%). Nearly two-thirds of British adults (65%) say nobody in their household will be dressing up for Halloween, and 6% are unsure.
Buying new costumes is the leading choice, but DIY, rewearing and second-hand costumes are popular options too
Among Britons planning to source Halloween costumes for themselves, buying a new outfit is the most popular option (42%). However, making a costume themselves (30%) and rewearing one they already own (29%) are among the top three choices too.
Around a quarter (24%) plan to buy a second-hand costume, while borrowing (3%) and renting (2%) are considerably less popular.
The picture differs slightly for those sourcing costumes for their children or grandchildren. Nearly half (47%) plan to buy a new costume, making this the leading option. Rewearing an existing costume (20%) is more popular than making one from scratch (15%), while 24% plan to buy second-hand.
Online marketplaces lead Halloween costume shopping
For Britons planning to purchase Halloween costumes, online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay are the most popular shopping destinations, selected by six in ten buyers (60%).
Supermarkets are a distant second, with 27% planning to purchase costumes from retailers such as Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's or Morrisons. Discount retailers, including B&M, Home Bargains and Poundland, follow at 22%.
Meanwhile, 16% plan to shop with clothing retailers such as ASOS, H&M or Zara.
Specialist costume retailers attract a much smaller share of prospective buyers (9%).
More than eight in ten Halloween costume buyers expect to spend less than £30
Halloween costume spending plans are relatively modest among Britons intending to make a purchase this year.
The most common spending range is £10-£19, selected by 36% of buyers. Another 26% expect to spend less than £10, while one in five (20%) anticipate spending between £20 and £29.
Together, this means 82% expect to spend less than £30 on Halloween costumes, including those buying multiple outfits.
Women are more likely to anticipate spending less than £20 (70% vs. 51%). Nearly a third of women (31%) expect to spend less than £10, compared with 18% of men.
Men, meanwhile, are more likely to budget £20-£29 (24% vs. 17%) or £30-£49 (11% vs. 7%). Spending £50 or more is relatively uncommon among both groups, although 8% of men anticipate spending this amount compared with 3% of women.
Methodology:
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,161 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 16th - 17th October 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
Image credit: Getty Images
