Survey: 81% of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween, chocolate tops candy favorites
With Halloween just weeks away, a new national survey finds that 81% of Americans plan to celebrate the holiday this year, with chocolate remaining the most popular treat and many consumers getting an early start on their candy shopping.
The National Confectioners Association (NCA) released its “Treats and Trends: The Data Behind Halloween 2026” report, highlighting how Americans plan to celebrate Oct. 31, their favorite Halloween treats and traditions surrounding trick-or-treating.
According to the survey, 85% of Americans plan to share treats with trick-or-treaters, while 94% of parents intend to celebrate Halloween with their children.
“Halloween is one of the most anticipated seasons of the year, and chocolate and candy help make these moments special,” said John Downs, president and CEO of the National Confectioners Association. “From handing out treats and decorating the house to carving pumpkins and celebrating with family, Americans embrace the traditions that make Halloween fun – with candy at the center of it all.”
The survey found that handing out candy to trick-or-treaters remains Americans’ favorite Halloween activity, followed by decorating their homes and carving pumpkins.
When it comes to candy preferences, chocolate leads the list of favorite Halloween treats, followed by gummy candy, hard candy and candy corn.
The findings also show that Halloween shopping begins well before Oct. 31, with more than one-quarter of consumers purchasing seasonal candy before October.
Parents are also getting in on the candy consumption.
According to the survey, 83% of parents admit to sneaking chocolate and candy from their children’s trick-or-treat collections, a tradition sometimes referred to as the “parent candy tax.”
The report also examined one of Halloween’s longstanding debates: the proper way to eat candy corn.
The survey found that 60% of Americans eat candy corn in one bite, while 28% begin with the narrow white end and 12% start with the wider yellow end.
Seasonal candy shapes are another important part of the Halloween experience, with pumpkins, ghosts and skulls ranking as Americans’ favorites.
Beyond Halloween traditions, the association highlighted the economic impact of the confectionery industry, which generates approximately $55 billion in annual retail sales nationwide.
According to the organization, every job in the U.S. confectionery industry supports an additional 11 jobs in agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, retail and related industries.
The association also emphasized that consumers generally view chocolate and candy as occasional treats rather than everyday food staples.
According to NCA, Americans typically consume chocolate and candy two to three times per week throughout the year, averaging approximately 40 calories and one teaspoon of added sugar per day from those products.
The survey was conducted in May 2026 using an online questionnaire involving 1,000 participants. The sample was designed to reflect the U.S. population across key demographic categories, including age, income, ethnicity and geographic region.
The National Confectioners Association represents the U.S. confectionery industry, including manufacturers of chocolate, candy, gum and mints.
