Chocolate in the U.S. - statistics & facts
While changing consumer behavior, such as increased attention to sustainable food production and healthy lifestyle choices, poses new challenges for the chocolate industry, companies can still rely on steadfast consumer interest. Does any country have a bigger sweet tooth than the United States? It does not look that way. With a much smaller population, the United States nearly ties China for the leading global market for confectionery of any kind. The U.S. chocolate confectionery market was estimated to be worth 24 billion U.S. dollars in 2025. Produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree, cocoa has been cultivated for at least three millennia. This food originated in Central and South America. However, today cocoa is mostly produced on the African continent to first and foremost cover the appetite of the American consumer.
Chocolate trade
U.S. consumers eat about 1.28 billion kilograms of chocolate confectionery annually. To keep up with high demand, the U.S. is the worldwide leading importer of chocolate and products with chocolate. Imports of this nature amount to almost five billion U.S. dollars annually. U.S. imports exceed those of the next largest importer by more than one billion U.S. dollars. U.S. consumers ate 3.7 kilograms of chocolate on average per person in 2025. These 3.7 kilograms are made up of a variety of local and international brands.Â
Brands in the U.S. market
In the U.S. chocolate market, only a few companies set the bar by which everyone else's performance is measured. In 2025, Hershey's was consumed by over 50 percent of American adults in the past year, while more than 40 percent tried M&M’s, Reese’s, Snickers, and KitKat. When those who regularly buy chocolate bars were asked, Hershey's, M&M’s, and Reese’s come up as the most popular chocolate bar brands among U.S. consumers. Snickers was the most recognized chocolate brand in 2025 at 94 percent, closely followed by KitKat and M&M’s.Â
As figures show, the United States remains one of the biggest players when it comes to chocolate consumption, trade, and overall market presence. According to forecasts for the next few years, the U.S. market revenue of chocolate confectionery is only expected to increase.Â
