U.S. candy inflation outpaces wages as Halloween costs rise

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Candy inflation outpaces wages

Highlights

Candy and chewing gum prices rose 7.7% year over year in September, outpacing U.S. headline inflation of 3.7%, per Bureau of Labor Statistics.
S&P Global reports average workers can now buy 15.79 candy bars per hour of labor versus 17.46 in 2019, with inflation outstripping wage growth for six months.
A consumer spent $200 for Halloween candy in 2024, but now pays $283 for the same quantity, while bulk bag prices also sharply increased year over year.

Candy prices climb faster than overall inflation

As reported by Business Insider, prices for candy and chewing gum are up 7.7% year over year in September, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data, compared with overall inflation of 3.7% in the same period.

That makes candy cost growth steeper than for categories including breakfast cereal, meats and apparel. S&P Global analysis says inflation has exceeded wage growth for each of the past six months, reducing how much candy the average worker can buy with an hour of labor.

In candy-bar terms, an hour of work buys 15.79 bars this year, down from 17.46 in 2019, according to S&P Global. The firm says consumers are still spending, but are increasingly relying on credit cards and saving less to do so.

Higher Halloween spending pressures households

Valerie Edwards, 49, says Halloween is her "Super Bowl" and continues to spend heavily on treats for neighborhood trick-or-treaters. She says she handed out about $200 worth of candy in 2024, but the same quantity costs $283 this year.

Although she considered cutting back, Edwards says she decides to maintain her plans because of the excitement the holiday brings local children. Her setup includes popcorn, hot chocolate, water and candy, with full-sized bars for teenagers and smaller treats for younger children.

Hannah Masters, who lives in a dual-income household with no children, says she is also adjusting how she shops as candy prices rise. Instead of relying only on bulk retailers such as Costco or Sam's Club, she now starts checking coupon sites in September to find lower prices.

Masters says a variety bag of 400 chocolates cost just under $30 last year, while a smaller 360-piece bag costs about $38 this year. She says the higher prices are discouraging because they risk reducing participation in a holiday many households value.

Our earlier article on rising U.S. toy prices ahead of the holiday shopping season explained that costs were climbing faster than many other categories as tariffs, energy, and shipping pressures filtered through to retail shelves. It also noted that even when tariff rates ease, shelf prices can stay elevated because inventories were priced under earlier, higher-cost conditions, while ongoing logistics and input-cost volatility keeps pressure on both manufacturers and consumers.

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