The Same Easter Budget Now Buys 40% Less Candy Than in 2020, InvestorsObserver Finds

Easter candy prices are up 67% since 2020, while household candy budgets rose just 15%, draining families’ purchasing power at the checkout.

Americans heading into Easter this year are paying far more for far less candy in their baskets, according to a new analysis from InvestorsObserver.

A review of five popular Easter candies sold at a major national retailer,

shows prices have risen 67% since 2020, even as average household Easter candy budgets have grown only about 15% over the same period.

That mismatch means a family of four spending the same roughly $93 Easter candy budget as in 2020 now walks away with about 40% less candy by weight.

To buy the same amount of candy by weight purchased in 2020, a household would need to increase spending from $93.20 to approximately $155 in 2026 – a $62 increase for identical product volume.

The disconnect stems from how the price increases accumulate over time. Year-over-year changes appeared moderate. For instance, 0% in some periods, 12% in others, then 0% again, followed by 22%.

However, the cumulative effect shows that the change has been significant.

Between 2020 and 2026, the average price per ounce across five tracked Easter candies increased from $0.37 to $0.62.

“It’s the classic boiling frog scenario that actually shows up in groceries year-round. You don’t jump out of the pot because the water heats up one degree at a time. Each individual increase feels tolerable – annoying, maybe, but not catastrophic. So you adjust. By the time you realize how hot the water has gotten, you’ve already lost significant purchasing power,” explained Sam Bourgi, senior analyst at InvestorsObserver.

The Easter aisle also didn’t escape shrinkflation, as one popular brand reduced the package size instead of increasing the price. Cadbury Mini Eggs shrank from 10oz to 9oz in 2022 with no price change.

In 2020, Easter candies ranged from $3.49 to $3.99 –

a tight window that made it easy to spot good and bad deals. By 2026, that range had exploded to $4.79 to $8.29. Similar products now vary by several dollars, making it harder to know what’s reasonable.

The Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar stands out as the most extreme case in the research, with a 107.8% price-per-ounce increase over six years. The package size never changed – shoppers got the same 1.55-ounce bar throughout. But the price moved many times.

Its price grew steadily from $3.99 in 2020 to $6.39 by 2022. Then in 2024, it dropped to $5.49 – a $0.90 decrease that suggested relief might be coming. That relief lasted one year. By 2025, the price had jumped to $8.29, surpassing all previous levels.

“When a price drops and then spikes even higher, it feels more unfair than a steady increase. The drop resets your expectations (you think things are getting better) which makes the spike feel manipulative rather than just market-driven,” said Bourgi.

This research has revealed a pattern held across brands: steady, incremental changes that consumers absorbed without recognizing the total impact.

Methodology

This research tracked five top-selling Easter candies from 2020 to 2026 using Target.com prices sourced from the Wayback Machine and current listings, selected based on Instacart’s bestseller data.

InvestorsObserver research team calculated price-per-ounce changes and household budget impact using the National Retail Federation’s $23.30 per-person Easter candy spend in 2020.

Key limitations include single-retailer pricing, and potential gaps in archived promotional data.

ABOUT SAM BOURGI

Sam Bourgi is a finance analyst and researcher at InvestorsObserver, bringing over 13 years of expertise in financial markets, economics, and monetary policy. His professional background spans the private, nonprofit, and public sectors, where he has held positions such as senior policy adviser, labor market analyst, and marketing director. Sam’s in-depth research and market analysis have been referenced by leading institutions and organizations, including the U.S. Congress, Department of Justice, Chicago Board Options Exchange, Bank for International Settlements, Boston University Law Review, Barron’s, and Forbes. Sam regularly appears on TV, including Fox 5 DC (live), CBN, KFYR TV, 11Alive, and ABC30, and is quoted by such media outlets as Reuters, Bloomberg, SF Chronicle and ZeroHedge.

ABOUT INVESTORS OBSERVER

InvestorsObserver is a trusted source of independent financial analysis, market insights, and investment research for individuals and institutions. Founded to empower retail investors with actionable intelligence, InvestorsObserver delivers timely commentary, data-driven studies, and accessible financial tools designed to simplify complex market trends. Its research and insights have been featured by various media outlets, including Yahoo, The Guardian, Morning Star, Reuters, Nasdaq, and more.