Misc
The Most Popular Halloween Costumes of 2021
The Most Popular Halloween Costumes of 2021
Halloween—it’s the time of year when kids and adults alike dress up, eat candy, and show off their spookiest selves. It’s also when the scariest home decorations are the talk of the town, and people are frightened left, right, and center.
With the help of data from Google Trends and their unique Frightgeist series, we visualized the most searched Halloween costumes in the U.S. in 2021.
From spooky to sweet, these are the costumes everyone wants to dress up as this Halloween.
A Brief History of Halloween
Halloween is celebrated each year on October 31, with this year’s Halloween occurring on a Sunday. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, where people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.
The concept of Halloween didn’t gain popularity until it reached the United States. Borrowing from European traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today’s “trick-or-treat” tradition.
Other superstitions also started to form around the holiday. Young women believed they could divine the appearance of their future husbands by doing tricks with apple parings or mirrors.
Over time, Halloween moved away from focusing on witchcraft and ghosts to the festival we know and love today—a day focused on games, foods of the season, and festive costumes.
What Are the Most Popular Halloween Costumes?
With COVID-19 cases down compared to last year and Americans expected to spend over $10 billion on Halloween this year, much of the United States will be partaking in celebrating the spooky holiday.
From classy costumes and last-minute DIYs to pop-culture outfits and even era-inspired costumes, here are the top 25 most popular Halloween costumes in the U.S. in 2021.
Rank | Costume Name | Category |
---|---|---|
1 | Witch | Horror Films |
2 | Rabbit | Animals |
3 | Dinosaur | Animals |
4 | Spider-Man | Comic Book Characters |
5 | Cruella de Vil | Film Characters |
6 | Fairy | Fantasy Characters |
7 | Harley Quinn | Comic Book Characters |
8 | Cowboy | Professions |
9 | Clown | Professions |
10 | Chucky | Horror Films |
11 | Cheerleader | Professions |
12 | Pirate | Professions |
13 | Pumpkin | Foods |
14 | Angel | Characters |
15 | Vampire | Fantasy Characters |
16 | Among Us | TV Charaters |
17 | Zombie | Horror Films |
18 | 1980's | Era |
19 | Superhero | Comic Book Characters |
20 | Devil | Characters |
21 | Joker | Film Characters |
22 | Ninja | Professions |
23 | Squid Game | TV Charaters |
24 | Beetejuice | Horror Films |
25 | Doll | Toys |
Notable Trending Costumes
The Netflix show Squid Game has had a meteoric rise in popularity in recent weeks, becoming one of the most-watched shows on the streaming platform—just in time for Halloween.
Squid Game costumes are the 23rd most popular in Google’s search, and they continue to trend high, being the most searched costume idea in Detroit.
In 2020, the mobile game Among Us was the talk of the gaming world, and this year it is the 16th most popular costume, with its popularity spiking in Jacksonville, Florida.
Other notable costumes in the top 50 include Pokémon at #50, Fortnite at #44, Velma Dinkley (of Scooby-Doo fame) at #42, Poison Ivy (the comic book villain) at #33, Beetlejuice at #24 and the entire 1980s decade at #18.
Most Popular Halloween Costumes by State
When it comes to festivals, every state has its unique perspective and traditions on celebrating them. This extends to popular Halloween costumes too.
Though there might be some overlap, digging deeper into the most popular costumes in every state allows us a unique look into how diverse people’s tastes are across the country.
Here is a breakdown of the most popular costumes in the U.S. in 2020 by state:
State | Most Popular Costume | National Rank in 2020 |
---|---|---|
Alabama | Harley Quinn | 03 |
Alaska | Beetlejuice | 36 |
Arizona | Rabbit | 04 |
Arkansas | Doll | 12 |
California | Witch | 01 |
Colorado | Dinosaur | 02 |
Connecticut | Powerpuff Girls | 32 |
Delaware | Doll | 12 |
District of Columbia | Beyonce | 333 |
Florida | Rabbit | 04 |
Georgia | Witch | 01 |
Hawaii | Monsters Inc | 43 |
Idaho | Witch | 01 |
Illinois | Dinosaur | 02 |
Indiana | Witch | 01 |
Iowa | Chucky | 20 |
Kansas | Mickey Mouse | 57 |
Kentucky | Zombie | 13 |
Louisiana | Witch | 01 |
Maine | Dinosaur | 02 |
Maryland | Ninja | 09 |
Massachusetts | Dinosaur | 02 |
Michigan | Rabbit | 04 |
Minnesota | Witch | 01 |
Mississippi | Angel | 06 |
Missouri | Dinosaur | 02 |
Montana | Purge | 15 |
Nebraska | Joker | 30 |
Nevada | Witch | 01 |
New Hampshire | Ninja | 09 |
New Jersey | Witch | 01 |
New Mexico | Clueless | 74 |
New York | Dinosaur | 02 |
North Carolina | Dinosaur | 02 |
North Dakota | Star Wars | 28 |
Ohio | Witch | 01 |
Oklahoma | Dragon | 35 |
Oregon | Fortnite | 07 |
Pennsylvania | Witch | 01 |
Rhode Island | Hermione Granger | 146 |
South Carolina | Wonder Woman | 31 |
South Dakota | Spider | 38 |
Tennessee | Harley Quinn | 03 |
Texas | Harley Quinn | 03 |
Utah | Witch | 01 |
Vermont | Deer | 125 |
Virginia | Rabbit | 04 |
Washington | Angel | 06 |
West Virginia | Zombie | 13 |
Wisconsin | Witch | 01 |
Wyoming | Physician | 67 |
A look at popular costumes at the state level reveals some interesting quirks. Montana, for example, is uniquely interested in The Purge, and Rhode Island trick-or-treaters are big fans of Hermione Granger of Harry Potter fame.
Traditions are Here To Stay
At its core, Halloween still remains that same old fright-inducing festival it has always been.
Even though pop culture might influence your Halloween choices, traditional costumes will always have a unique place in everyone’s heart.
Misc
Ranked: The World’s Top 10 Automotive Exporters (2000-2022)
Data from the World Trade Organization highlights the world’s 10 largest automotive exporters in 2022.

Ranked: The World’s Top 10 Automotive Exporters
According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, over 85 million motor vehicles were built around the world in 2022.
In this graphic, we add context to this massive figure by ranking the world’s 10 largest automotive exporters. The list is based on data from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and includes countries from nearly every corner of the world, highlighting the global nature of the industry.
Top 10 Exporting Countries
The data we used to create this graphic is included in the table below. It represents each country’s share of the total export value of global automotive products in both 2000 and 2022.
“Automotive products” are defined by the WTO as motor vehicles, parts and accessories for motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines for propelling said vehicles. This grouping excludes motorcycles and trailers.
Exporter | 2000 (% of world exports) | 2022 (% of world exports) | Change (pp) |
---|---|---|---|
🇪🇺 EU | 45.4% | 46.1% | +0.7 |
🇺🇸 U.S. | 11.7% | 9.1% | -2.6 |
🇯🇵 Japan | 15.3% | 8.9% | -6.4 |
🇲🇽 Mexico | 5.3% | 8.5% | +3.2 |
🇨🇳 China | 0.3% | 8.0% | +7.7 |
🇰🇷 South Korea | 2.6% | 5.1% | +2.5 |
🇨🇦 Canada | 10.5% | 3.3% | -7.2 |
🇬🇧 UK | 4.5% | 2.7% | -1.8 |
🇹🇭 Thailand | 0.4% | 2.0% | +1.6 |
🇹🇷 Türkiye | 0.3% | 1.7% | +1.4 |
Total | 96.3% | 95.4% | -- |
From this list we can identify which countries have experienced the most growth or decline over the past 22 years.
Countries With the Most Growth Since 2000
The automotive exporters that grew their share of global value the most since 2000 are China (+7.7 pp), Mexico (+3.2 pp), and South Korea (+2.5 pp).
There are clear drivers behind each of these growth stories.
For example, China became the world’s largest car market back in 2009, which accelerated the growth of its domestic automakers. China is also home to some of the world’s biggest automotive suppliers, including Weichai (diesel engines), Hasco Automotive (drivetrain and air conditioning systems), and CATL (EV batteries).
Mexico, on the other hand, has grown its auto industry by enticing global brands to construct their factories there. The country’s competitive edge includes cheaper labor and a land border to the United States.
Finally there’s South Korea, whose growth is largely attributed to Hyundai Motor Company. The Seoul-based automaker recently became the third largest on a global basis, trailing only Toyota and Volkswagen.
Countries With the Biggest Decline Since 2000
The automotive exporters that declined the most since 2000 are Canada (-7.2 pp), Japan (-6.4 pp), and the U.S. (-2.6 pp).
Canada’s auto industry has experienced a steady decline in recent years, though new EV-related investments could turn things around. In March 2022, Stellantis and LG Energy Solutions announced the construction of a $3.5 billion EV battery plant in Windsor, Ontario.
Canada’s automotive industry is largely concentrated in the province of Ontario, which neighbors Michigan, the top state for U.S. car production.
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