Halloween shoppers in the United States are paying noticeably more for trick-or-treat candy this year, with a new analysis from the Groundwork Collaborative and the Century Foundation finding that popular Halloween chocolate and confectionery cost 15.3% more than in 2025.
A separate study from personal finance firm FinanceBuzz put the increase at 71% over the past five years, far outpacing overall inflation, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics measured at 3.7% over the past year. Prices for candy and chewing gum specifically rose 7.7% in the twelve months to September.
The driver, economists say, is cocoa bought long before this Halloween ever reached a shelf. A tonne of cocoa hit more than $10,700 in January 2025 as climate-driven crop failures hammered West African supply, and large manufacturers typically lock in contracts months in advance. "The cocoa that is now being consumed was bought when the prices were high," said Stephen Zagor, an adjunct associate professor at Columbia Business School who studies food businesses.
Shoppers are responding by trimming the size of their baskets rather than skipping the holiday outright. Market researcher NielsenIQ found Halloween treat sales were down 11.7% in mid-September and still off 6.7% in mid-October, even as spending ticked up closer to the holiday. "Smaller packs [are] gaining ground while larger sizes continue to struggle," said Chris Costagli, the firm's vice-president of US food thought leadership, describing a consumer "who still wants the occasion, but is paying much closer attention to what goes into the basket."
With diesel prices still hovering near September's record and broader cost-of-living pressure unresolved heading into the holidays, Zagor suggested retailers and parents alike might lean on presentation over quantity this year — a dramatic bowl, a costume at the door — rather than compete on how much candy goes in each bag.