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November 7, 2026

Findivoza

Business & Money

Halloween candy costs more than ever — and shoppers are still buying it

Faizan Altaf

Halloween fell on Saturday, 31 October, and for millions of families in the United States the familiar ritual came with a shock at the checkout. The bowl by the front door, the bag for the school party and the treats for the neighbours’ children all cost noticeably more than a year ago, and far more than five years ago. Yet the tills kept ringing. Shoppers complained, compared prices, bought smaller bags and swapped some chocolate for gummies — and then, in large numbers, they bought the candy anyway.

That tension is the story of Halloween 2026. Prices have risen faster than most people’s pay, and faster than the price of food in general. The main reason is chocolate, and the main reason for that is cocoa, the bean that comes mostly from West Africa and went through a price surge few shoppers had ever seen. The cocoa in this year’s chocolate was bought when prices were at their highest, so even though wholesale cocoa prices have since fallen, the chocolate on the shelf has not followed them down.

At a glance

What happened: Prices for candy and chewing gum in the United States rose 7.7% in the year to September 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while a 100-piece bag of Halloween candy now costs an average of $16.96, up from $9.91 five years ago.

Why it matters: Chocolate is driving the rise, after cocoa prices soared to a record $10,710 a tonne in January 2025 on poor harvests in West Africa, and the chocolate on sale this Halloween was made from cocoa bought when prices were high.

What happens next: The next official price reading, for October, is due on 10 November, and forecasters expect sugar and sweets prices to keep rising in 2026.

The numbers behind the bowl

The headline figure comes from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the government agency that tracks prices. Prices for candy and chewing gum rose 7.7% in the 12 months ending in September 2026, after rising 8.1% in the 12 months ending in August. Over the same 12 months to September, consumer prices overall rose 3.7%, and prices for food eaten at home rose only 1.8%. Candy prices therefore rose roughly twice as fast as prices in general, and more than four times as fast as the food people buy to eat at home.

Look back further and the gap grows wider. Candy and chewing gum prices were up more than 18% in two years, according to the latest federal data reported by NPR. Over five years, they were 44% higher in September than five years earlier, while prices for food prepared and eaten at home rose 22.5% over the same period.

The price of a single bag tells the same story in a way that is easier to feel. A 100-piece bag of assorted Halloween candy now costs an average of $16.96, compared with $9.91 just five years ago, according to a 2026 study by the personal finance firm FinanceBuzz. That is a rise of about 71%: $16.96 minus $9.91 is $7.05, and $7.05 divided by $9.91 is just over 71%. A family that once spent about $10 on a bag now spends about $17 for the same number of pieces.

Some individual sweets have risen even faster. A report published on 20 October by the research group Groundwork Collaborative found that a Mondelez sour gummy candy variety pack had jumped 39% in price compared with last season, and Hershey seasonal peanut butter cups had risen 23%.

Why chocolate is the problem

Almost every explanation starts in the same place: West Africa. Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana produce a large share of the world’s cocoa, and West Africa as a whole is the source of roughly 70% of the world’s chocolate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When harvests there suffer, the whole world feels it, because there is no quick substitute for cocoa in a chocolate bar. The same world market supplies chocolate makers in the United States, Britain, Pakistan and everywhere else.

In recent seasons, harvests were hurt by drought and heavy rain, and by plant diseases that spread through cocoa farms. Global cocoa prices soared to a record of $10,710 per metric ton in January 2025, driven by poor weather in West Africa and by speculative activity in the cocoa futures market, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Prices have since come down from that peak. There was a surplus in the global supply of beans earlier this year, according to the International Cocoa Organization, and global cocoa production is now rebounding, according to David Branch, sector manager with the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute. That sounds like good news, but it has not yet reached the shelf. “The candy on the shelves right now — chocolate candy — that cocoa was purchased in 2025,” Branch told NPR. “And last year’s cocoa prices were high.”

Large manufacturers often buy cocoa through contracts agreed months in advance. Hershey, one of the biggest makers, generally hedges its commodity costs for three to 24 months, so shoppers are paying now for the expensive cocoa of last year, not for the cheaper cocoa of today. Branch also warned that consumer chocolate prices are “sticky”, meaning they do not fall quickly even when the raw ingredient does.

Cocoa is not the only cost that has risen. Manufacturers are also dealing with higher prices for sugar, pricier fuel linked to the war in the Middle East, and costlier imports subject to United States tariffs, according to NPR.

Shoppers are buying less, not stopping

The higher prices have changed how people shop, even if they have not stopped them shopping altogether. Market research firm NielsenIQ found that candy purchases dropped 6.7% during the four weeks ending on 17 October, compared with the same period last year. The company also reported an 11.7% decline in mid-September. Among the pack sizes it tracked through mid-October, only small bags posted sales growth. Larger and extra-large bags recorded the sharpest falls, which suggests shoppers are scaling back the size of their Halloween buy.

Data from the market research firm Circana, which tracks purchases in United States supermarkets, points in the same direction. Chocolate candy sales, measured in money, have been increasing for several years running, yet shoppers have been buying less chocolate candy over the same period. Put together, those two facts mean people are paying more for chocolate and getting less of it. It is the classic sign of shrinkflation, the practice of reducing the size or weight of a pack while keeping the price the same, so that the cost per piece quietly rises.

The shift is not only about chocolate. NielsenIQ found that non-chocolate treats such as gummies and lollipops averaged $6.08 per pound during the nine weeks ending on 17 October, about 3% below last year’s average, yet the lower price did not translate into stronger sales.

The makers themselves were more upbeat. A spokesperson for the Hershey Company told CNET that about 35% of Halloween seasonal sales were still expected in the final week before the holiday, and that trick-or-treat participation was in line with last year. “Confection remains a resilient category,” the spokesperson said.

A record bill, anyway

Despite the higher prices and the fall in the number of packs sold, Americans were expected to spend more on Halloween in total than ever before. The National Retail Federation, the trade body for retailers in the United States, estimated that consumers would spend $13.5 billion on Halloween this year, a 3% annual increase and a record. The average person was expected to spend $115.14, only 69 cents more than last year, when the figure was $114.45, but the total is higher because more people are celebrating and because prices are higher.

The Federation’s survey, conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics from 1 to 9 September, polled 7,889 consumers and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points. It found that 74% of Americans planned to celebrate Halloween, up from 73% last year and 68% in 2019. Candy was the most popular purchase, with 96% of Halloween shoppers planning to buy sweets. Total candy spending was expected to reach $4.1 billion, with costumes at $4.4 billion and decorations at $4.3 billion.

It is important to be clear about what those numbers are. They are a survey of plans, not a count of money actually spent. People were asked in early September what they planned to spend, before the September price data was released.

“Consumers continue to make Halloween a spending priority, but they are also approaching the season with affordability in mind,” said Allison Zeller, the Federation’s vice president of industry and consumer insights. The survey found that if shoppers found prices higher than expected, 31% would compare prices, 26% would look for coupons or sales, and 34% would look for items they could reuse or repurpose. Discount stores were the most popular place to buy, with 39% of shoppers planning to buy there.

What makers are doing instead of cutting prices

When the main ingredient becomes expensive, makers have a few choices, and this year they have used most of them. Some have raised prices directly. Some have made packs smaller, so that a bag that once held 100 pieces now holds fewer. Some have changed the recipe, using less chocolate and more of something cheaper. And some have launched new products that avoid chocolate altogether.

NPR reported that some candy makers have ushered in a flavour shift in recent years, offering more gummy and sour candy, and launching products that do not use pricier chocolate, such as KitKat’s marshmallow-flavoured Witch’s Brew and Reese’s White Ghosts coated in white creme. Shrinkflation is harder to spot, because the bag looks the same from the outside. The clue is in the weight and the piece count. A bag that costs the same as last year but holds 80 pieces instead of 100 has, in effect, become 25% more expensive per piece.

How to stretch a Halloween budget

The advice from consumer groups is practical, and it does not require giving up the holiday. First, compare the price per piece, not just the bag price. Divide the price by the number of pieces, and check the weight as well, because a bag of tiny pieces is not necessarily better value than a bag with fewer, larger treats. Second, mix chocolate with other sweets, such as individually wrapped lollipops, fruit chews and hard candies. You can still include chocolate without making it the whole bowl, but compare prices first, because non-chocolate candy is not automatically cheaper.

Third, check store apps and loyalty discounts before heading to the checkout. Supermarkets, pharmacies and discount stores may offer digital coupons, loyalty-card prices or promotions on larger bags. Pay attention to the conditions: some discounts require buying several bags. Fourth, buy for the trick-or-treaters you actually expect. If you expect 50 trick-or-treaters and plan to give each child two pieces, start with 100 pieces. Keep a reserve inside the house and refill the bowl as needed.

Finally, consider small non-food treats for children with food allergies, such as stickers or temporary tattoos bought in multipacks. Do not count on a last-minute sale, either: some stores may discount seasonal candy as 31 October approaches, but popular varieties can also sell out.

What happens next

The next official reading will be the October consumer price data, scheduled for release on 10 November. That will show whether candy prices kept cooling through Halloween month, or whether the final rush pushed them up again.

Forecasters do not expect a quick return to cheap sweets. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service projects that sugar and sweets prices will rise 6.6% in 2026, faster than their 20-year average, with a forecast range of 5.8% to 7.4%.

Frequently asked questions

How much have candy prices gone up?

Candy and chewing gum prices were 7.7% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They were up more than 18% in two years, and 44% higher than five years earlier.

Why is Halloween candy so expensive this year?

The main reason is cocoa. Poor harvests in West Africa pushed cocoa prices to a record of $10,710 a tonne in January 2025. The chocolate on sale this Halloween was made from cocoa bought when prices were high, so the fall in wholesale cocoa prices since then has not yet reached the shelf.

Why hasn’t chocolate got cheaper now that cocoa prices have fallen?

Manufacturers buy cocoa months in advance, often through contracts agreed three to 24 months ahead, so they are still using expensive cocoa bought in 2025. Consumer chocolate prices are also “sticky”, meaning they do not fall quickly even when the raw ingredient gets cheaper.

How much are Americans spending on Halloween in 2026?

The National Retail Federation expects total Halloween spending to reach a record $13.5 billion, up from $13.1 billion in 2025. The average person is expected to spend $115.14, and candy spending is expected to reach $4.1 billion. Those figures are based on a survey of 7,889 consumers in early September, so they are plans, not final sales.

Are people buying less candy?

Yes, in volume terms. NielsenIQ found that candy purchases fell 6.7% in the four weeks ending on 17 October, compared with the same period last year, and only small bags posted sales growth.

How can families save money on Halloween candy?

Compare the price per piece, not just the bag price, and check the weight. Mix chocolate with cheaper non-chocolate sweets, check store apps and loyalty discounts, buy only for the number of trick-or-treaters you expect, and consider small non-food treats for children with allergies.

Conclusion

Halloween 2026 will be remembered, at least in the shops, as the year the treats got expensive and people bought them anyway. Candy prices rose 7.7% in a year and 44% in five years, a 100-piece bag now costs about $17 instead of about $10, and chocolate is the main reason, because the cocoa in this year’s sweets was bought at record prices. Shoppers responded by buying smaller bags, comparing prices per piece and looking for discounts. Yet the National Retail Federation still expects a record $13.5 billion in Halloween spending, with $4.1 billion of that on candy alone.

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

Sources

Faizan Altaf

Faizan Altaf is the founder and author of findivoza.com, a news blog covering world, Pakistan, business, technology, health and sport in plain English. He writes for general readers who want clear, trustworthy news without jargon. His work focuses on explaining what happened, why it matters, and what to watch next.

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