How Many Pounds Of Chocolate Do Americans Buy For Valentine's Day?

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Carolyn Menyes|Feb. 5, 2020 11:45 am EST

Chocolate and Valentine's Day are a truly iconic couple, right up there with Kermit and Miss Piggy, Mickey and Minnie Mouse or peanut butter and jelly.

In fact, this sweet treat is so synonymous with the most romantic holiday of the year that heart-shaped boxes of chocolate made up 10.7% of Valentine's Day candy sales in 2019, according to a new survey from Candystore.com. The candy website used sales data from the past 12 years from online bulk candy stores and industry partners to determine the amount of chocolate sold.

That sure is a lot of cherry cordials. But just how much chocolate do Americans buy every year for Valentine's Day? Turns out, 58 million pounds of chocolate are purchased in the seven days leading up to Feb. 14. And if you're single and want to get in on the action, you're not alone. The Candystore.com survey revealed that 43% of Americans will buy themselves candy this Valentine's Day.

Chocolate is just one part of big Valentine's Day sales. The National Retail Foundation expects that Americans will shell out $27.4 billion this February (an average of $196.31 per person) on gifts for loved ones. For 2020, it's expected that about $2.4 billion of that big spending will go toward candy. The rest will go toward other romantic gifts, such as jewelry, an evening out at one of the most romantic restaurants around, clothing, flowers, cards and other gifts.

So, if you're among the masses of Americans who are going to be buying candy for your sweetheart this season, make sure you're getting the Valentine's Day candy of choice: chocolate. And just to be safe, get it from the best chocolate shop in your state.