Halloween 2025 sees scary candy inflation as chocolates, costumes get costlier in US — how much do you pay now?

Read to dress in a costume? Carve a pumpkin? Buy some candies? This year, celebrating Halloween could be a record-breaking event for Americans in terms of spending.

Under the US President Donald Trump's administration, consumers are expected to spend more than $13 billion on costumes, decorations, and, of course, candy, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

The figure is up from $11.6 billion last year and exceeds the previous $12.2 billion record set in 2023, as per the NRF's annual survey released in September 2025.

The survey further states that Candy continues to be the most popular purchase, with total spending expected to reach $3.9. Candy is said to be a Halloween staple as four in five Americans purchase sweets during the season.

Candy-inflation

A new analysis from Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation found that top Halloween candy packs cost an average of 10.8 percent more this year — nearly four times inflation over the past year.

Some popular chocolate-based treats could witness price upticks of at least 20 percent. The price increases could mean popular candies like Tootsie Rolls and Hershey’s chocolate and variety packs are a few dollars more expensive than they were just a year ago.

The report states price hikes on certain candy staples are "especially large":

1. Variety packs from Hershey’s (maker of KitKats, Twizzlers, Reeses, and Heath bars) are up 22 percent

2. Variety packs from Mars (maker of Milky Way, M&Ms, Three Musketeers, and Skittles) are up 12 percent.

3. Fruity candies from manufacturers Mondelez (maker of Sour Patch Kids) and Perfetti Van Malle (maker of Airheads) are facing price increases of more than 9 percent and 7 percent, respectively.

4. Bubble-gum-blowers will see price hikes ranging from roughly 5 percent to 7 percent from Charms (maker of Blow Pops and Double Bubble).

Halloween Candy prices up 78% since 2020: Another Survey

Meanwhile, another survey published by FinanceBuzz claimed Halloween candy prices have risen by 78 percent since 2020, more than triple the national rate of inflation (25%).

"A 100-piece bag of assorted Halloween candy averages $16.39 this year – up $7.20 over the past 5 years," it said.

Moreover, FinanceBuzz said the cost for a bag of Halloween candy increased by less than $1 year-over-year from 2020 to 2022, but has gone up by more than $2 per year over the last two Halloweens.

Spooky costumes, decorations

Beyond candy, prices have also been hiked for seasonal decorations and costumes -- on items from cosplay makeup to giant lawn skeletons.

Even DIY costumes can’t help Halloween-goers escape higher prices, with prices for clothing and shoes rising 25 percent faster than overall inflation.

Meanwhile, at Magic Etc. Ft Worth Costume Inc. in northern Texas, the price of fog machines has jumped from $58 to $74.

Even the holiday’s most popular showpieces aren’t immune: last year, a twelve-foot Bone Collector at Lowe’s went for $399. This year, it’s listed at $449.

Why is Halloween getting expensive?

The rising costs of common Halloween purchases have mostly been blamed on Trump tariffs.

The Century Foundation's report stated that more than 85 percent of Halloween decorations and costumes are made in China, and Trump has placed massive tariffs on the country -- leading to a spike in the prices of the products imported by China.

Besides this, Donald Trump also placed tariffs on the biggest exporters of chocolate to the US. Imports from the Ivory Coast, the largest producer of cocoa, are taxed with a 21 percent tariff. Ecuador, the second-largest producer, faces a 15 percent tariff, the Guardian reported.