How Much Money Do Americans Spend on Easter Candy Every Year? (2013–2023)
Overall Easter spending in 2023 reached an all-time high of $24 billion, a 15.4% jump over the previous year’s numbers.
The annual billion-dollar event is a great opportunity for retailers to grow their businesses. Doing this requires having a better understanding of consumers’ plans to mark the festive affair, starting with what percentage plan to celebrate Easter and their top expenses.
Since Easter and candy go hand-in-hand, expenditure on these items is one thing business owners should keep an eye on.
How much money do Americans spend on easter candy every year? Here’s a breakdown.
How much money is spent on Easter candy: 2013–2022
According to the National Retail Federation, Americans’ annual expenditure on Easter candy increased by 25% from 2013 to 2022, rising at an average annual growth rate of 2.7%.
In 2013, those celebrating Easter spent $2.4 billion buying candy. This figure fell by 8.3% in 2014, to $2.2 billion, and held steady in 2015. In the two following years, consumers’ expenditure on Easter candy rose year after year, recording growth rates of 9.1% and 8.3%, to $2.4 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively.
2019 saw consumers cut back slightly on Easter candy, as spending fell by 3.8%, to $2.5 billion. This rebounded immediately and strongly in 2020, as $2.9 billion was spent on Easter candy, a 16% year-over-year surge. In 2021, Easter candy spending continued to grow, but at a slower growth rate of 3.4%, to $3 billion. Last year, consumers spent the same amount they did the previous year.
How much money is spent on Easter candy: 2023
This begs the question: How much money was spent on Easter candy in 2023? By analysts’ estimates, Americans spent $3.3 billion on candy this year in celebration of Easter. This marked a 10% increase from 2022, and is a record high.
Candy has been consumers’ fourth-largest expense for Easter since at least 2003, and 2023 is no exception to this. This year, candy ranks behind food ($7.3 billion), clothing ($4 billion), and gifts ($3.8 billion).
In terms of spending per household, the average American household spent $26.31 on Easter candy this year, up 8.2% from $24.32 in 2022.