This Halloween, the scariest thing in America might be sticker shock. Rising prices are spooking would-be revelers into cutting corners—or skipping the holiday altogether. A new CouponFollow study of 1,000 U.S. adults shows that the season of ghosts and candy has become another casualty of inflation.

Nearly one in five Americans (19%) won’t celebrate Halloween this year at all. Of those opting out, 72% blame inflation, while 46% say they simply can’t afford it. The average celebrator plans to spend around $220, still high but lower than last year’s freewheeling festivities. Generationally, the drop-off is steepest among baby boomers (50%), followed by Gen X (22%), millennials (16%), and Gen Z (10%).

More Americans say Halloween feels like an obligation they can’t justify. Nearly one in t

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