Halloween spending in the US is expected to reach a record $13.5 billion this year, as consumers face higher prices for sweets, costumes and delivery. The National Retail Federation forecasts spending will rise by $400 million from 2025 and by $1.9 billion from 2024.
Candy is expected to account for $4.1 billion of the total. A survey by PwC found that the average person plans to spend about $263, with parents often paying more because they are buying for several Halloween events.
However, two-thirds of Americans believe Halloween has become too expensive, according to a WalletHub survey.
Why Halloween costs are rising
Higher transport and fulfilment costs are pushing up the price of costumes, according to Cortland Hickey, general manager of Chicago Costume.
“The tariff costs are pretty much baked into the products as opposed to being a surprise like they were last year,” Mr Hickey said. “But now it’s the fuel surcharges and the cost of diesel and those kinds of things when you’re receiving products on pallets and truckloads.”
Shoppers ordering costumes online may also face rush delivery charges if they leave their purchases until the last minute, or risk them arriving after Halloween. The proportion planning to shop online has fallen to 27 per cent, from 31 per cent in 2025.
About half of shoppers began buying their Halloween goods in September or earlier, allowing them to spread the cost and look for deals.
Chocolate prices remain high
Chocolate prices are expected to be 8 per cent higher than last Halloween, while a 100-piece bag of assorted sweets costs an average of $16.96. That is a 3.5 per cent increase on last year and 71 per cent more than in 2021, according to FinanceBuzz.
Mondelez has raised prices on gummy sweet packs by 39 per cent, while Ferrero has increased the price of chocolate packs by nearly 19 per cent.
The increases are being felt even though cocoa prices have fallen from their record highs in 2024 and 2025. Economists say confectionery makers are still using cocoa bought during last year’s price spikes.
Heatwaves and heavy rain linked to climate change affected cocoa crops in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire in 2025, contributing to shortages and higher prices. Tariffs on cocoa-producing countries also affected costs, although levies on cocoa and other commodities that cannot be grown in the US were removed last November.
Some manufacturers have reduced production costs by replacing traditional ingredients in milk chocolate with cheaper alternatives such as vegetable oil. Products that no longer meet the official definition of milk chocolate can instead be labelled “chocolate candy”, “chocolatey” or “chocolate coating”.
Under federal rules, milk chocolate must contain at least 10 per cent cocoa mass and solids. Products including Butterfinger, Rolo and Almond Joy, which contain 2 per cent or less cocoa, are labelled “Chocolate Candy”.
Hershey faced criticism earlier this year after changing the recipe for some Reese’s limited-edition and seasonal products to use less chocolate. The company said it would return to its original recipes in 2027.
How shoppers can cut Halloween costs
Phil Lempert, editor of the Lempert Report, said consumers should compare prices online when buying sweets, adding that orders through Amazon “is going to be a lot less expensive”.
Checking the cost per item or per pound can expose significant differences between variety packs. Some chocolate assortments cost almost twice as much as bags of gummy sweets.
For costumes, Mr Hickey recommended avoiding pre-packaged outfits and instead buying individual items that shoppers are less likely to own or make themselves, such as wigs, face paints, special make-up and props.
Mr Lempert expects Halloween costs to continue increasing through 2027 and probably 2028, citing the effects of climate change on global cocoa prices and higher fuel costs.
