Americans will spend a projected record-breaking $24.9 billion on Easter this year – most of it on food and gifts – a 5.5% increase over the $23.6 billion spent by consumers in 2025.
On a per-person basis, that’s another record of $195.59, or 2% more than the $192.01 spent in 2023.
Though about 92% of consumers will buy candy, about $3.5 billion will be spent on such treats this year. However, the most will be spent on food, about $7.5 billion, according to the annual holiday survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
“While economic uncertainty remains on the minds of many, consumers are still focused on holiday celebrations like Easter,” Mark Mathews, NRF chief economist and executive director of research, said in a release announcing the survey.
Though candy is the top choice of survey respondents, consumers will spend more on food and gifts, in line with family and friends observing Easter in traditional ways.
The survey findings indicated a robust demand for holiday goods amid economic uncertainty, Reuters reported.
“Holidays provide an important opportunity for families to reconnect and create lasting memories, even as economic conditions fluctuate,” Mathews said.
Among those who don’t plan to celebrate Easter this year, about 54% plan to take advantage of Easter‑related sales for items such as candy, food and clothing, the NRF said.
“Easter continues to be a holiday rooted in tradition for many consumers, which serves as the leading source of shopping inspiration,” Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategy at Prosper Insights & Analytics, said in a statement.
NOTE National Retail Federation Easter survey March 2-11 by Prosper Insights & Analytics asking 7,845 adult consumers about their Easter shopping plans. Margin of error is +/- 1.1 percentage points.
SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; National Retail Federation
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Easter spending on candy, food, gifts could crack $25 billion in 2026
Reporting by George Petras, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
