Trick-or-treaters may get more gummy candy than chocolate this year

Trick-or-treaters may find more fruity candy than chocolate among their Halloween handouts this year. That should be fine with younger consumers, who have been gravitating for years toward non-chocolate candies like gummies, freeze-dried treats and other sweets that come in a variety of shapes, colors and flavors.

Last year, 52% of the total volume of Halloween candy sold in the U.S. was made of chocolate, according to Dan Sadler, a principal for client insights at the market research company Circana. But in the 12 weeks ending Oct. 5, chocolate accounted for 44% of the Halloween candy sold in the U.S.

Prices may be part of it. Global cocoa prices more than quadrupled between January 2023 and January 2025 due to poor harvests in West Africa, where 70% of cocoa is produced. Chocolate candy is lot more expensive as a result.

Chocolate Halloween candy in the U.S. cost an average of $8.02 per pound in the 12 weeks ahead of Oct. 5, while non-chocolate candy cost an average of $5.77 per pound.

Americans spent $7.4 billion on Halloween candy in 2024, according to the National Confectioners Association. That was 18% of all candy sales last year.

Sixty-one percent of U.S. consumers bought candy for trick-or-treaters last year, according to Hershey. Hershey said 45% of consumers reported buying Halloween candy for themselves.


(AP Photo Nam Y. Huh)