Halloween Candy Cost More With Less Chocolate

Even the joy of Halloween will cost more this year, with less chocolate than in years past. Expect more packages of tangy gummies, riding off a meteoric high last year. Your kid’s trick-or-treat bag may be filled with a lot of pumpkin-spice-filled-anything. And like last year, cocoa bean industry experts are expecting high price tags to be passed down to consumers. And with high cocoa prices, every producer from specialty chocolate makers to candy giants are changing up how they sell their treats. For consumers, this could mean less chocolate per package, higher prices and less cocoa content – meaning less chocolate-y chocolate – compared to before. Overall, candy is 10.8% more expensive this Halloween season than last year, according to an analysis of Nielsen IQ data conducted by progressive think tank Groundwork Collaborative and shared first with CNN. That’s nearly quadruple the overall rate of inflation.

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In 2024, Halloween candy prices only rose 2.1%, the analysis found. Halloween spending is no fun-sized matter. Americans shelled out $7.4 billion in Halloween chocolate and candy sales in 2024, a 2.2% increase from 2023, the National Confectioners Association said. US candy prices have climbed in the past year Candy is more expensive this Halloween season, increasing at nearly four times the rate of inflation. Percent increase in prices compared to a year ago, by brand The percent increase in candy prices for some of the most popular candy brands, compared to a year ago, Overall candy in the US