US shoppers are facing higher prices for Halloween treats this year, and some are spending more than usual to fill trick-or-treat bags.
Demetrio Beltres, a 33-year-old financial adviser, said he plans to spend $20 to $30 this year, up from his usual $15 to $20, because prices are much higher. He was shopping at a Target in Manhattan.
Stephen Zagor, an adjunct associate professor at Columbia Business School, said people have limited budgets, and rising costs for everyday essentials may lead them to make Halloween less extravagant. He said the holiday has become "scary, more from an economic [perspective]" than for scaring people at the door.
Analysis from the left-leaning non-profit Groundwork Collaborative and the Century Foundation found that the cost of popular Halloween chocolates and confectionery was 15.3% higher this year than in 2025. Separate research from the personal finance firm Finance Buzz found that prices for Halloween treats rose 71% over the past five years, a much larger increase than the general pace of price rises over the same period.
Zagor said higher cocoa prices have pushed up confectionery costs. According to figures from the International Monetary Fund, cocoa prices reached a high of more than $10,700 a tonne in January 2025. The report attributes part of that spike to climate change and severe weather affecting supplies. Inflation is running at 3.7%, and diesel is $6.32 a gallon.
Consumer research firm NielsenIQ found that Halloween treat sales fell 11.7% by mid-September and 6.7% by mid-October. Chris Costagli, the firm's vice-president of US food thought leadership, said sales had improved as the holiday approached, with smaller packs gaining ground while larger sizes continued to struggle.
Zagor suggested that households cutting costs could make trick-or-treating more memorable, such as by presenting treats in a creative way or by making treats together with neighbors.