Easter Eggs Pricier Than Ever: Global Supply Chain Woes Hit Confectionery

Easter egg prices in 2026 are at an all-time high, with further increases predicted for next year. The current situation stems from a global cocoa deficit, the largest in over six decades. This deficit was caused by disease, adverse weather, and aging trees affecting cocoa production in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, which together supply 60% of the world's cocoa.

Manufacturers initially attempted to mitigate rising cocoa costs by reducing cocoa content and increasing milk and sugar, resulting in lighter-colored Easter eggs in 2025. Although improved South American harvests and weather helped reduce cocoa prices from their early 2025 peak, consumers are still paying for manufacturers' earlier, higher-cost cocoa purchases.

Now, a new crisis is emerging from the Middle East. Conflict has disrupted the supply of fertiliser, a critical input for cocoa farming, with a third of global supply stuck behind the Strait of Hormuz. Restrictions on gas, essential for fertiliser production, have also impacted output. This scarcity and surge in fertiliser prices directly threaten next year's West African cocoa harvest, potentially leading to even more expensive chocolate in the future.