LONDON: Chocolate lovers are paying significantly more for their favorite treat as global cocoa production struggles under extreme weather conditions, according to the latest inflation data.
The price of chocolate has jumped 43% since 2022, according to an analysis of new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), a green think tank. Inflation on chocolate products has risen sharply, climbing from 9.8% at Easter 2023 to 13.6% this year.
Consumer group, which recently reported that Easter eggs have surged in price—by as much as 50%—while simultaneously shrinking in size. Their inflation tracking found chocolate prices up 16.5% year-over-year, compared to an overall 4.4% increase in food and drink prices in supermarkets.
ONS data highlights that cumulative inflation from March 2022, when West Africa was first hit by severe weather disruptions, to March 2025 now stands at 43%.
The ECIU points to climate change as a key driver of soaring cocoa prices, noting that extreme weather has battered cocoa-producing nations, particularly Ivory Coast and Ghana, which collectively supply more than half of the world’s cocoa.
“Chocolate is just one of many foods becoming more expensive due to climate change-driven extreme weather impacting crops,” said ECIU analyst Amber Sawyer. “Farmers in West Africa have faced repeated waves of extreme conditions—from excessive rainfall to scorching droughts—making cocoa production increasingly difficult.”
Ivory Coast, the UK’s top cocoa supplier in 2024, provided 84% of Britain’s cocoa beans, valued at £135 million. However, recent ECIU analysis shows cocoa bean imports to the UK have dropped 10% since 2022, while the average price per kilo has risen by 32%.
West Africa endured record-breaking weather swings in recent years, including torrential rainfall in 2023 that doubled the 30-year seasonal average in some areas, followed by extreme heat and drought in 2024. Scientists at the World Weather Attribution group found last Easter’s humid heatwave was made 4 degrees Celsius hotter and 10 times more likely due to climate change.
Sawyer warned that climate-driven disruptions to food production—from cocoa to rice and British vegetables—could pose long-term threats to food security, urging greater support for farmers both in the UK and abroad.
Despite efforts to stabilize the market, chocolate prices are likely to remain high as cocoa farmers continue to struggle against increasingly unpredictable weather conditions.