Halloween Candy Sales Stats for 2021

Every Halloween, millions of Americans go trick-or-treating. This tradition dates back hundreds of years, but surprisingly little is known about how much candy people actually consume on that night. We do know that the average American consumes close to thirty pounds of candy each year, but this data does not distinguish between different types of candy or reveal the proportion consumed during halloween trick-or-treating.

Americans spent an estimated $3 billion dollars on candy for halloween in 2021. The top 10 candy purchases for Halloween make up more than 33% of all sales. Candy corn is the clear leader, followed by chocolate bars and candy pumpkins. Candy apples are also very popular, while gummies tie with boxed candy for fourth place on the list of best-selling candies at nearly 5%. Candy corn continues to lead in sold candies throughout autumn, but it loses its dominant position to chocolate during Christmas.

Popular candy such as Snickers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Candy Corn and Starburst are expected to be in high demand.

One website suggests that Americans consume around 20 pounds of candy each year including Halloween, while another claims it to be 25 pounds . Still, others have claimed it to be 30 pounds . The estimates vary but all show America’s love affair with candy. Keep in mind this is based on  United States data and does not take into consideration other countries to may also participate in trick-or-treating.

Popularity around Halloween

Another fact to consider is these sweet treats get passed around all the schools in the United States during Halloween. Typically children bring home bags or candy from their own classrooms in advanced of Halloween and this could significantly increase the overall data and is definitely something to look into. Perhaps it is closer to 30 pounds per year if we take that into account. According to the chart below every state has their favorite candy. The top candies sold in California are Reese’s Cups while across the country in New York they are Sour Patch Kids. We haven’t explored why this is the case but clearly more people enjoy a combination of peanut butter and chocolate in California vs more of a sweet and sour treat in New York during the Halloween season.

No slowdown in sight

It’s no doubt candy’s an important staple amongst US celebrations like Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Candy purchases don’t appear to be slowing down anytime and as a matter of fact expect it to increase every year during these holidays. The annual spend estimates on Halloween candy alone are around $25 of candy sold per household. Despite candy typically getting a bad wrap because of its nutrition-less, calorie dense properties. It is still a treat that will continue bring smiles for years to come.

Top candy Sold By State During Halloween

Source : candystore.com