Confectionery Sales Top $54B in 2024

While consumers are concerned about grocery prices, which has resulted in widespread food and beverage spending shifts, 98% of shoppers said that they had bought confectionery products at some point last year.

Confectionery sales rose above $54 billion in 2024, according to the recent “2025 State of Treating” report from the National Confectioners Association (NCA). Of that amount, chocolate accounted for $28.1 billion, or 51.9% of sales; nonchocolate candy, $21.7 billion, or 40.0% of sales; and gum, $4.4 billion, or 8.1% of sales. The report predicts that U.S. confectionery sales will increase over the next five years, surpassing $70 billion in all outlets by 2029.

While consumers are concerned about grocery prices, which has resulted in widespread food and beverage spending shifts, 98% of shoppers said that they had bought confectionery products at some point last year, demonstrating that they continue to leave room in their budgets for treats like chocolate and candy.

“Americans are still turning to chocolate and candy as a special way to elevate their celebrations, holidays and even ordinary days,” noted NCA President and CEO John Downs. “The connection between our industry’s products and emotional well-being is undeniable, and we are meeting consumers where they want to be met with options for the moment – no matter the occasion.”

Among the report’s key takeaways:

While a little more than half of confectionery sales were of chocolate, nonchocolate candy saw stellar results in 2024, growing by nearly $5 billion since 2019, an increase of nearly 70%.
The big four candy seasons – Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween and the winter holidays – accounted for 62% of all confectionery sales in 2024. Main reasons for consumers to buy chocolate and candy included seeing their favorite treats and brands, gift-giving, and special occasions.
85% agreed that it’s permissible to occasionally enjoy a piece of chocolate or candy, and 86% of parents are also okay with their kids having candy every once in a while. Consumers said that they’re interested in different pack size options and resealable packaging to encourage portion control.

The “2025 State of Treating” report combines proprietary NCA consumer survey findings with syndicated data provided by Circana and Euromonitor. Shopper insights were collected through an online survey run in December 2024 among a national sample of 1,551 consumers ages 18-75. The survey findings are overlaid with Circana retail measurement and household panel data. Future market predictions were provided by Euromonitor. The study was conducted by San Antonio-based 210 Analytics.

Washington, D.C.-based NCA is the leading trade organization for the U.S. confectionery industry.