October 3, 2025 – Global sales of chocolate and products in the chocolate category have been slow and steady in recent years. Market trends projections suggest a similar global growth rate for chocolate in the coming years.
Chocolate Growth Faces Global Price Challenges
Although chocolate is projected to continue growing, it faces many challenges to growth and innovation. A key challenge is pricing, namely rising prices and variable pricing for cocoa. Cocoa costs are very variable, and this puts pressure on producers, brands, retailers, and consumers. Cocoa prices have more than doubled over the past five years. These price increases are likely to be passed on to consumers. Price increases also put pressure on brands to find new ways to use cocoa, innovate toward new product formulations, and add value to chocolate products. Consumer trends research shows that many consumers globally are highly price sensitive. Chocolate trends highlight that the global market shows consumers maintaining, cutting back, or increasing their chocolate consumption.
Appealing to Chocolate Consumers with Health
Another layer of influence is the demand among consumers globally for healthier products. Some consumers cut back on chocolate for health reasons in addition to price. That is why brands need to innovate in a way that both supports health and manages costs and prices. Healthier, more mindful choices could attract new consumers.
Chocolate has natural health benefits that boost its appeal beyond its indulgence. Its functional benefits include emotional aspects such as relaxation, happiness, and energy. Other potential benefits include sleep support and support of brain function. Chocolate trends show that brands can connect chocolate to both physical wellbeing and mental wellbeing through ingredients and then communicate these benefits to current and potential consumers. This helps with positioning chocolate for better-for-you, indulgence, and value.
Innovation Adds Excitement
One way to add excitement to the chocolate category is to bring in innovation. Innovative chocolate products can bring in new customers and excite existing customers to eat more chocolate. Innovation is essential to build excitement. Emotions are on the rise globally, presenting an opportunity for chocolate to join in. Consumer trends research shows that chocolate consumption is driven by impulses and emotions. Brands that use creative approaches can appeal to the impulse buyer in the candy aisle. One of the Innova Market Insights Top 10 Trends – Wildly Inventive – highlights the excitement in unique textures and flavors, including in chocolate. These can include spicy, herbal, salty, or cheesy.
Chocolate as Environmentally-Friendly
Innova predicts additional chocolate product launches that support a healthy planet. Products for a better planet are a must in today’s environment. Consumers, including chocolate consumers, want to see that companies are making progress toward their support of planetary health. The chocolate market can support the environment in numerous ways. These include the way that they source raw ingredients, how they innovate to reduce their carbon footprint, innovations in education and training of cocoa farmers, support for regenerative agriculture practices when growing cocoa, and evolving packaging to be manufactured from recycled materials or upcycled materials.
Developments to Watch for in Global Chocolate
One development to watch for follow’s Innova’s top trend regarding wildly inventive features. These can include excitement for chocolate consumers through inventive and delicious flavors. Flavors also can be combined in innovative ways. Other inventive features to consider are combinations of textures, chocolate products that are interactive, or unique features such as personalization of chocolate products. Seasonal launches and limited edition launches can spark consumer interest and motivate consumers to continue chocolate purchases.
Also watch for chocolate products that support more mindful choices. One way for brands to do this is by communicating the physical wellbeing and mental wellbeing benefits of chocolate. Chocolate trends reveal that consumers also are interested in functional health benefits in a broad range of products, including chocolate. One health feature to consider is chocolate with less sugar plus sweetness from natural sweeteners. Other features to consider are health claims, smaller portion sizes, and chocolate products that are free of guilt.
One aspect of healthfulness is real ingredients. Real ingredients could be whole ingredients. Also, real ingredients in chocolate could be cleaner, with no artificial flavors or colors.
Keep an eye out for planet-friendly innovations. The chocolate market and chocolate consumers are seeking sustainable cocoa sourcing, and they expect production to be sustainable also. Sustainable cocoa practices can include transparent sourcing, technology that allows chocolate consumers to track ingredient and product origin, adoption of chocolate production methods to better support the environment, greater adoption of regenerative farming methods for cocoa globally, and improved packaging to incorporate upcycled materials and recycled materials.
Look for key groups to target for increasing their chocolate consumption. These can include adults who have children, Gen Z consumers, and Millennials.
This article is based on Innova’s Chocolate – Global report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more