Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 3.9 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $368.4bn in 2025.
Trends and Insights
Sweet sustainability is reshaping the candy and chocolate industry worldwide
- Environmentally aware consumers urge candy and chocolate manufacturers to adopt sustainable and ethical production methods, including transparent supply chains and fair labor practices. Brands are reacting by integrating environmental and social responsibility as fundamental values, establishing new benchmarks for sourcing, manufacturing and marketing.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2025-2030)
Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Consumers are choosing health-focused candy alternatives with simple, transparent ingredients
- Many consumers currently prefer sweets made from natural ingredients, opting for products that avoid synthetic preservatives and additives. Clean label assertions, plant-derived compositions and familiar ingredients have emerged as essential differentiators for brands aiming to engage the expanding health-aware market segment.
Biggest companies in the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing
| Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue ($m)
2025 | Profit ($m)
2025 | Profit Margin (%)
2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The Hershey Company | 231.2 | 53.9 | 23.3 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 1 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Chocolate, Candy and Gum. Chocolate is the largest segment of the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing.
Trends and Insights
Emerging markets' consumption of chocolate is climbing
- Chocolate consumption is on the rise in developing markets, particularly in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions, which now account for a significant portion of the segment's global expansion. Urban growth, increasing disposable incomes and changing retail networks enhance the accessibility of chocolate bars, industrial chocolate and gourmet box selections.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Operators in the Global Candy and Chocolate Manufacturing industry purchase and process sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, nuts, fruits, emulsifiers and flavorings, to create chocolate and other confectionery products. Final industry products include chocolate, chewing gum, hard candies, marshmallows and toffee.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry include Manufacturing chocolate confectionery, Manufacturing nonchocolate confectionery and Manufacturing chewing gum.Companies
Companies covered in the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry include The Hershey Company .Purchase this report to view all 1 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
Related terms covered in the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry include efs network, organic chocolate and fair trade.Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
Consumers are seeking healthier indulgence. They prefer products with low sugar, organic ingredients and additional health benefits like probiotics, as well as options that c...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
New US tariffs will force global candy makers to hike prices or shift production abroad. Companies like MrBeast’s Feastables find it cheaper to manufacture overseas, risking ...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
- International Trade
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2025
- Product innovation level
- Total imports, level and trend
- Total exports, level and trend
- Trade Balance
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2025
- Major market segmentation in 2025
- International trade, including imports by country and exports by country
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
- Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
Candy and chocolate manufacturers concentrate heavily in Europe. The region's high per capita chocolate and sugar confections consumption drives manufacturing.
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Business Locations Charts
- Share of global output by region in 2025
- Share of population compared to output in each region in 2025
- Data tables
- Share of global output by region in 2025
- Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Global, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Candy and chocolate manufacturers face stiff competition. They compete based on price and quality and constantly seek innovative products to attract customers.
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
The largest manufacturers look to reduce their environmental impact. Ferrero and Hershey have increasingly sought to secure sustainable cocoa and support local farmers.
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
- Overview of The Hershey Company 's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for The Hershey Company , and factors influencing its performance in the industry
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Manufacturers face heavy regulations. Global chocolate and candy manufacturers must meet production standards set by various governing bodies, including standards for quality...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Profit has faced headwinds. Supply chain woes have hiked the cost of critical inputs, such as dairy, cocoa and sugar, increasing purchase costs and hindering manufacturers' p...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
- Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Average Wage (2015-2030)
- Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
- Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2015-2030)
- IVA (2015-2030)
- Establishments (2015-2030)
- Enterprises (2015-2030)
- Employment (2015-2030)
- Exports (2015-2030)
- Imports (2015-2030)
- Wages (2015-2030)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry in 2025?
The market size of the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry is $368.4bn in 2025.
How many businesses are there in the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry in 2025?
There are 25,324 businesses in the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry, which has grown at a CAGR of 4.3 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry?
The Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry is likely to be impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a moderate share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry?
The Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry is likely to be impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a moderate share of industry revenue.
Has the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry has been growing at a CAGR of 3.9 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry is expected to decline.
What are the biggest companies in the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry?
The biggest company operating in the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry is The Hershey Company
What does the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry include?
Manufacturing chocolate confectionery and Manufacturing nonchocolate confectionery are part of the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry?
The company holding the most market share in the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry is The Hershey Company .
How competitive is the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Global Candy & Chocolate Manufacturing industry.
Methodology
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IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources globally include:
- United Nations Comtrade
- Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development
- World Bank
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
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