Halloween Candy Costs Jump 8.1% as Shoppers Still Plan to Spend

Candy and chewing gum cost 8.1% more than a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but Americans still plan to spend heavily on Halloween. The National Retail Federation (NRF) projects total spending of $13.5 billion this season, NBC News and Fox Business reported.

The pattern shows shoppers trimming costs in small ways, such as comparing prices and starting early, rather than skipping the holiday's most popular purchase.

The central numbers behind Halloween 2026

• 8.1%: The rise in candy and gum prices over the past year. Fox Business said the figure covers August versus a year earlier, and it is well above the 3.4% increase in overall consumer prices.
• $13.5 billion: The NRF's projection for total Halloween spending, up from $13.1 billion in 2025.
• $4.1 billion: The amount Americans are expected to spend on Halloween candy, according to the NRF survey.
• 96%: The share of Halloween shoppers who plan to buy candy, making it the holiday's most popular category.
• $115.14: The expected average spending per person, little changed from $114.45 last year.
• 15.5%: The jump in Halloween chocolate prices, to an average of $5.67 per package, according to PwC.

Why chocolate is driving the increase

PwC found a sharp split between product types. Nonchocolate candy averaged $3.31, up 1.8% from last year, while chocolate climbed far faster. Industry experts told NBC News that a cocoa price shock is part of the reason.

Extreme weather in major cocoa-producing countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana pushed global cocoa prices up. According to International Monetary Fund data cited by NBC, they quadrupled from January 2023 to January 2025.

Ali Furman, PwC's consumer markets industry leader, said chocolate makers buy cocoa months and sometimes up to two years ahead, so shoppers are paying for that spike now. She said cocoa prices have since fallen by about half, but the lower costs will not reach shelves this Halloween season.

Tariffs are also a factor, analysts told NBC. The U.S. imposed tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on 60 trade partners in July. Chris Costagli, who leads food and nonalcoholic beverage insights at the research firm NIQ, said that because chocolate comes from abroad, tariffs have added to manufacturers' costs.

Measurements differ. NIQ saw a milder increase than PwC: chocolate overall was up 9.4% from a year ago, while Halloween-specific chocolate rose just 1.7%.

What it means for shoppers

For households, candy is getting pricier at a time when pay is not keeping pace. NBC reported that consumer prices are up 3.4% over the past year, largely because of energy costs, while wages rose just 3%.

Many people are keeping the tradition and economizing elsewhere. Abby Mynatt, a 21-year-old college student in Knoxville, Tennessee, usually spends about $50 on candy and expects to spend a bit more this year. She said little pleasures are “still worth it.” Leonard Smith, 36, of Delaware, said he may cut back, and he plans to save by buying candy after Halloween, when many stores cut prices.

The NRF survey points to similar habits. More than a third of consumers plan to compare prices if Halloween merchandise costs more than expected, and just over a quarter intend to look for coupons or sales. Allison Zeller, the NRF's vice president of industry and consumer insights, said in a statement that consumers still treat Halloween as a priority but are thinking about affordability.

Where and when people are buying

Nearly half of consumers said they planned to begin Halloween shopping in September or earlier. Among those early shoppers, 23% said they bought items ahead of time to spread out their budgets.

Discount stores are the most popular destination, drawing 39% of shoppers. Specialty Halloween stores follow at 32%, and online retailers at 27%.

The NRF survey was conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics from Sept. 1 through Sept. 9 and polled 7,889 consumers.

Sources: NBC News, Fox Business