The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has released new data from an online survey that suggests a more positive outlook on the upcoming Halloween season as compared to 2020. While the survey’s main focus was around America’s favorite candies, supplemental questions highlight a shift in confidence around Halloween celebrations in 2021.
The survey found that 80% of Americans plan to trick-or-treat in 2021; in contrast, only about 50% of respondents planned to trick or treat when a similar survey was conducted last year. 82% of people say they are confident they will find safe and creative ways to celebrate the Halloween season this year, as opposed to just 63% last year. In all, 82% of people – and 93% of young parents – plan to celebrate Halloween this year.
The results definitely suggest that despite the ongoing threat of COVID-19 and the Delta variant, families are more confident in their ability to safely celebrate Halloween in 2021, even while trick-or-treating.
As far as candy goes, according to the survey, NCA found that Americans prefer chocolate (60%) to non-chocolate (40%) in their trick-or-treat pumpkins, so it’s no surprise that chocolate came in first place, followed closely by Americans’ second choice: gummy candy. Americans’ third choice is classic candy corn. While there is some debate about the best way to enjoy this classic Halloween treat, most Americans say they enjoy the whole piece of candy corn at once (52%), while 31% of people start at the narrow white end and 17% of people start with the wider yellow end.
About the Survey:
The national online survey was conducted by 210 Analytics on behalf of the National Confectioners Association. The research was fielded June 3-8, 2021, among a sample of 1,500 U.S. adults (18 years of age or older). The margin of error associated with the survey is 2.5% at the 95% confidence level.
For more information on navigating the Halloween season, visit AlwaysATreat.com/Halloween for Halloween inspiration, including safety tips, fun facts, and suggestions on how to celebrate in safe and creative ways.
