Halloween Candy Prices Are Up More Than 15%, About Four Times Overall Inflation
Cocoa and sugar shocks are pushing Halloween candy prices up more than 15% this year. Hershey's seasonal Reese's rose over 23%, and 35% of shoppers plan to skip candy.
Trick-or-treat is getting expensive. Halloween candy prices have climbed more than 15% this year, roughly four times the overall rate of inflation.
TLDR
- Halloween candy prices rose more than 15% in 2026, according to Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation.
- Hershey’s seasonal Reese’s rose more than 23%. Mondelez sour gummy variety packs cost 39% more than last year.
- Cocoa, sugar and corn syrup make up about 65% of candy ingredient costs.
- 35% of holiday shoppers plan to skip candy this year, a LendingTree survey found.
The Numbers
An analysis by Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation found Halloween candy prices rose more than 15% this year, Food Dive reported. The same analysis found Mondelez sour gummy variety packs cost 39% more than in 2025, and Hershey’s seasonal Reese’s rose more than 23%.
Why Candy Costs More
About 65% of confectionery ingredient costs come from cocoa beans, sugar and corn syrup, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and all three have been hit hard. Extreme weather in West Africa drove cacao shortages and record prices. Drought cut sugar supplies from Mexico, the largest source of U.S. sugar imports. Between December 2019 and November 2024, prices for cacao-based products rose about 144%, sugar about 44% and corn sweeteners more than 26%.
How Brands Are Responding
Mondelez has leaned on fillings and wafers that use less chocolate. Hershey added salty snacks, including Pirate’s Booty and SkinnyPop fun-size packs, to its Halloween lineup for the first time. PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay launched a Doritos and Cheetos Fright Night Mix and fun-size NKD snacks made without artificial dyes or flavors.
“It’s not about price discount and buy one, get one free,” Hershey CEO Kirk Tanner said at a Barclays conference in September. “You have to win consumers over with the best ideas and core brand relevance.”
Why It Matters
Halloween is candy’s biggest test of the year. With 35% of holiday shoppers planning to skip candy, according to LendingTree, brands are filling the bowl with salty snacks, smaller formats and dye-free options to hold on to the night.
Source: Food Dive. Read the report.