Spending on candy, cookies, and cakes in 2023

Today is Halloween, a day with many traditions including stocking up on candy and chewing gum for trick-or-treaters and bringing bootifully decorated cookies, cakes, and cupcakes to fall school parties. These goodies continue to cast their spell on many of us year round.

Households in the United States spent on average $164 on candy and chewing gum in 2023, 31.2 percent more than in 2022 and 86.4 percent more than in 2013. Expenditures on candy and chewing gum grew faster than total average annual expenditures, which rose 5.9 percent over the year and 51.2 percent over the decade.

Spending increased on cookies and cakes and cupcakes (26.4 percent each) in 2023, faster than total average annual expenditures. Average household spending on cookies reached $91, while spending on cakes and cupcakes reached $67. From 2013 to 2023, cookies expenditures grew 85.7 percent, while cakes and cupcakes expenditures grew 76.3 percent.

These data are from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys. To learn more, see “Consumer Expenditures — 2023.” Households, also known as consumer units, consist of families, single persons living alone or sharing a household with others but who are financially independent, or two or more persons living together who share major expenses.