Americans spent a record $55 billion on chocolate, candy, gum and mints in 2025, and the category shows no signs of slowing down, according to the National Confectioners Association’s (NCA) 2026 State of Treating report. Sales are projected to grow an additional $7.3 billion over the next five years, reaching $62.2 billion across all outlets by 2030.
Nearly every U.S. household participated in the category last year — 99.8 percent purchased confectionery at least once in 2025.
Seasonal selling remains the backbone
The big four candy seasons — Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween and the winter holidays — accounted for 63 percent of all confectionery sales in 2025, with seasonal engagement returning to pre-pandemic levels. Consumers are also extending gifting to Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and the Fourth of July, broadening the category’s relevance beyond its traditional peaks.
NCA President and CEO John Downs said the numbers reflect a category that earns its place even as shoppers grow more deliberate.
“Americans today are making their purchase decisions with greater intention, and chocolate and candy continue to earn their place in the basket,” Downs said.
“The confectionery industry consistently delivers products that consumers know and love while introducing new innovations that shape how people choose to enjoy and share treats. No matter the occasion, confectionery brings people together.”
Chocolate still leads, but non-chocolate is gaining
Chocolate represented 51.7 percent of confectionery sales across all outlets, but non-chocolate candy has steadily taken ground — growing from one-third of market share in 2015 to 40.9 percent in 2025. The shift tracks with generational preferences: Boomers favor traditional milk and dark chocolate, while Gen Z and Millennials over-index for gummy, chewy and freeze-dried formats.
Nostalgia is also a retail opportunity. One-third of consumers — skewing younger — said they are very interested in exact re-releases of retro candy. Younger shoppers are also more likely to seek out unexpected flavors, novel flavor combinations and new texture experiences, with TikTok emerging as a top discovery channel for the category.
Category built on everyday moments
The report reinforces the wellness positioning the industry has leaned into. More than eight in 10 consumers said it is fine to occasionally have a piece of chocolate or candy, and people in the U.S. enjoy confectionery two to three times per week on average — consuming roughly 40 calories and about one teaspoon of added sugar per day from the category.
The full 2026 NCA State of Treating report is available at CandyUSA.com. The study draws on a December online survey of 1,585 consumers ages 18 to 75, overlaid with Circana retail measurement and receipt panel data, with future projections provided by Euromonitor.
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