These 2 Candies Are The Most Popular In The US On Halloween

Halloween isn't only the one day a year when we can dress up like anything we want and not be judged. It's also the one day a year when seemingly everyone, young or old, ends up eating candy. Whether it's the spoils of a lucrative trick-or-treating journey, or leftovers eaten from the candy bowl once people stop knocking on the door, candy is everywhere this time of year. In 2022, consumers have already spent more than $3 billion on Halloween candy, according to Statista.

But what's everyone's favorite Halloween candy? The answer can vary depending on a lot of different factors, from the state someone lives in to their age. But YouGov decided to try to figure out which Halloween candy was the most loved of all, so they had 1,188 people select from 76 possible Halloween candy match-ups to choose their favorite candies. The most popular sweet treats to eat on Halloween night were surprisingly similar for both kids and adults.

Kids and adults are in agreement about the top two most popular Halloween candies, at least according to YouGov's experiment. 76.1% of adults chose candy combinations that included M&Ms, and the second-most-popular candy was Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, which was selected in 74.4% of its match-ups. Coming in last place was black licorice, a treat too scary for even Halloween (considering the fact that eating too much black licorice can literally kill you, it's no surprise that so many people find its flavor off-putting). Candy corn wasn't very popular, either, only winning 40% of its match-ups.

Interestingly, the two most popular candies were almost the same for adolescents aged 8 to 14 who were set to perform the same match-up selection task. However, the most popular candy for that age group was Reese's Peanut Butter Cups followed by M&Ms, the reverse of the adults. The creators of the experiment did note that adults tend to like chocolate Halloween candy more than kids do, and kids prefer sour and fruity Halloween candy more than adults. But these two chocolatey options still came in first place.