How big is Halloween in Germany, really? The answer depends on who you ask and what they’re measuring. Retailers track how much extra money changes hands. Candy makers ask people what they hand out at the door. Polling firms ask which costumes people choose. None of these figures measures “how many Germans celebrate Halloween,” and no single reliable number does.
What the data does show, taken together, is a holiday that grew fast in the 2010s and early 2020s, then began to level off. This page collects the most useful figures, with sources and dates, so you can see the pattern for yourself. Where the original source is a company with something to sell, we say so.
Halloween Spending in Germany
The most-cited figures come from the HDE, the German retail association, which commissions an annual consumer survey from the research institute IFH Köln and estimates how much additional retail revenue Halloween generates.
| Year | Estimated additional retail sales | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | about 320 million euros | HDE / IFH Köln |
| 2023 | 480 million euros | HDE / IFH Köln |
| 2024 | about 540 million euros | HDE / IFH Köln |
| 2025 | about 520 million euros | HDE / IFH Köln |
The 2025 forecast was roughly 4 percent lower than 2024, but still about 63 percent above 2019, the last pre-pandemic survey year. The HDE suggested that many households were still well stocked with decorations from earlier years.
Survey details for 2025: more than 1,000 people aged 18 to 69 were surveyed in October. About 15 percent said they planned to spend more than the year before, 52 percent about the same, and roughly one in three less. Consumers said they planned to cut back mostly on jewelry, accessories, costumes, make-up, and decorations, while sweets, food, and household items stayed at the center of their plans.
How many people plan Halloween purchases? In HDE surveys, the share of people planning targeted Halloween spending was 13.5 percent in 2023, which was about 60 percent higher than in 2019, and around 15 percent in 2024 and 2025. In other words, only a minority of Germans buy anything specifically for Halloween.
Regional example: The retail association for the state of Hesse estimated about 54 million euros in Halloween spending in 2025, around 4 percent lower than in 2024. In its survey, 55.6 percent of those planning to spend said they would buy sweets and snacks.
What People Buy
In the 2023 HDE survey, among people planning Halloween purchases:
- 58 percent planned to buy decorations
- 46 percent costumes
- 42 percent jewelry and accessories
- 41 percent make-up
By 2025, the emphasis had shifted toward sweets, food, and household items.
Candy and Trick-or-Treating
The most detailed figures on candy come from an online survey commissioned by HARIBO, conducted in September 2024 with 2,300 adults and published in October 2025. Because the sponsor is a candy maker, treat the brand results with that in mind, but the sample is large and weighted to match the adult population.
- 48 percent said giving sweets to children who ring the bell is part of Halloween for them.
- 47 percent admitted to having pretended not to be home at least once to avoid trick-or-treaters. The two main reasons: no sweets in the house, or no desire to hand any out.
- 42 percent buy sweets specifically for Halloween.
- 62 percent said giving “emergency gifts” is not an option for them. Among the rest, 15 percent had given old sweets, 10 percent small change, and 8 percent broken cookies.
- Best-fitting treat for Halloween: gummy candy (75 percent), chewy candy (63 percent), hard candy (55 percent), and chocolate bars (52 percent).
- Most popular brands to give at the door: HARIBO (55 percent) and MAOAM (34 percent), with chocolate bars such as Mars, Snickers, and Twix at 22 percent.
- 46 percent of those buying sweets prefer small, individually wrapped brand-name portions.
For how trick-or-treating actually works, see our guide to Süßes oder Saures.
Costumes and Entertainment
A YouGov survey for Statista, as cited by the web portal web.de in 2025, found that vampires are the favorite Halloween costume (18 percent), followed by witches (12 percent) and skeletons (10 percent). A separate Statista survey found that about 38 percent of Germans regularly watch horror films or series. See our pages on Halloween costumes and German horror films.
How Austria Compares
Austrian figures from 2025 give a useful contrast, though they come from regional chamber of commerce surveys rather than national ones.
- Vienna: A survey by KMU Forschung Austria for the Vienna Chamber of Commerce found that about 7 in 10 Viennese families celebrate Halloween. Residents were expected to spend about 16 million euros, around 50 euros per person, and 85 percent of shoppers planned to buy sweets.
- Carinthia: About 57 percent of 15- to 29-year-olds planned to celebrate, and 30 percent of parents said their children would go door to door in costume. About 34 percent planned definitely to hand out sweets, with another 27 percent probably doing so.
For the broader comparison, see Halloween in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
What These Numbers Do and Don’t Tell Us
- Spending is not participation. Someone who carves a free pumpkin or borrows a costume doesn’t show up in retail figures.
- Different surveys, different groups. The HDE samples adults aged 18 to 69, while the HARIBO survey covers all adults, and the Austrian figures cover specific regions.
- Sponsors matter. Retailers and candy producers have an interest in showing that Halloween is growing.
- Older figures aren’t directly comparable. Industry estimates from the late 2000s, such as the roughly 160 million euros quoted in the story of how Halloween came to Germany, used different methods.
For the cultural story behind the numbers, read our complete guide to Halloween in Germany, or the short answer to whether Germans celebrate Halloween.
Sources
- Handelsverband Deutschland (HDE) / IFH Köln consumer surveys, 2023, 2024, 2025 (as reported by dpa, Reuters, and FashionUnited)
- Handelsverband Hessen, press release, October 27, 2025
- HARIBO GmbH, Halloween survey (Bilendi online panel, n=2,300, September 2024), press release October 22, 2025
- YouGov for Statista and Statista horror-viewing survey, as cited by web.de (2025)
- KMU Forschung Austria for the Vienna Chamber of Commerce (WKO Wien), October 2025
- Wirtschaftskammer Kärnten, October 2025
FAQ
How much money do Germans spend on Halloween?
The HDE estimated about 520 million euros in additional retail sales for 2025, down roughly 4 percent from about 540 million euros in 2024 but 63 percent above 2019.
What percentage of Germans celebrate Halloween?
There’s no single reliable figure. In HDE surveys, around 15 percent of people plan targeted Halloween spending, but many more take part without buying anything.
What is the most popular Halloween candy in Germany?
Gummy candy tops a HARIBO-commissioned survey (75 percent), with HARIBO itself the most popular brand to give out.
What is the most popular Halloween costume in Germany?
Vampires, at 18 percent in a YouGov survey for Statista, ahead of witches and skeletons.