Chocolate is no longer seen as a sweet indulgence in China. Instead, the Chinese chocolate market is being reshaped by trends toward high-end, healthy and diversified products. China’s chocolate confectionery market reached CNY24 billion in 2025, accounting for just 2% of global consumption, according to the report Chocolate China Market Snapshot. Per capita spending on chocolate in the Chinese mainland stood at CNY18 in retail sales, equivalent to a consumption volume of 0.1 kilogram per person. Compared with other Asian countries and regions that share a similar food culture, China still has significant potential to tap in terms of per-capita retail spending on chocolate, said the report published by Shanghai-based consultancy OC&C Strategy Consultants.
The per capita annual spending on chocolate in Japan was CNY232 with a consumption volume of 1.0 kg, while South Korea recorded CNY72 and 0.6 kg, and the United States stood at CNY576 with 4.0 kg during the same period, the report added. “It’s no longer enough for chocolate to just taste good, as consumers also want it to be healthy. They are increasingly looking for an emotional connection through the entire journey of buying and savoring it,” said Leo Chiang, Partner of OC&C in China. Chiang said such trends have led to a consensus that chocolate should have a healthy formula. Meanwhile, premium consumption and cross-industry collaborations are creating new opportunities for brands to add value. After a period of robust growth since 2008, China’s chocolate market cooled from 2015 but staged a comeback in the past three years, posting a compound annual growth rate of 3.9% in sales volume.
Euromonitor International, a London-based market research company, expects China’s chocolate confectionery market to continue growing from USD3.52 billion in 2026 to USD3.59 billion in 2030, although the sector shrank from USD3.40 billion in 2021 to USD3.32 billion in 2025. Globally, the sector surged from USD114.29 billion in 2021 to USD149.44 billion in 2025, and is projected to further soar to USD169.49 billion by 2030. Chocolate for baking or cooking is excluded from Euromonitor International’s confectionery coverage.
Chinese consumers are paying more attention to product quality, and they are more willing to spend on chocolate with high cocoa content and premium ingredients. In the past three years, 20% of consumers have increased their chocolate gift budget, and about 70% of them chose high-end chocolate, according to OC&C’s analysis. The appeal of high-cocoa chocolate is even more evident as categories with more than 80% cocoa have grown by 21%, it added. The report also noted that the boundaries of high-end chocolate consumption are constantly expanding and are no longer limited to traditional gift boxes or simple chocolate bars. Innovations like freshly made chocolate ice cream and customizable store options are getting a lot of attention, the China Daily reports.
