Countries that consume the most candy per year

As Halloween approaches, many Americans are about to get the biggest sugar high they have all year.

If 2015 was any indication, Americans are likely to spend almost $2 billion on Halloween candy, according to the National Retail Federation's Halloween Consumer Spending Survey.

And even after the trick-or-treat season, America's sweet tooth remains huge.

What is the most popular candy in your state?

The U.S. ranks no. 1 in the world in terms of the annual retail volume of consumed sugar, chocolate and gum. The country will consume more than 5 million pounds of sweet treats in 2016, according to market data and estimates from Euromonitor, a London-based market research firm providing business insights on consumer products.

China is in the second place largely due to the sheer size of its market, consuming 4.7 million pounds of candies in 2016. Mexico is the only South American country among the top 10.

Here are the top 10 countries with the highest candy retail volume in 2016:

Countries

Total Candy Retail Volume in 2016 (pounds)

1. U.S.

5,442,766

2. China

4,697,604

3. Germany

2,361,809

4. Russia

2,298,978

5. United Kingdom

1,518,763

6. Brazil

1,317,260

7. India

1,181,676

8. Japan

931,231

9. France

896,398

10. Mexico

699,526

But when it comes to the per capita volume of candy consumed, the U.S. isn't even in the top 10. The Europeans seem to be the biggest sugar-loving countries in this regard. Germany tops the list, consuming an average of 29 pounds of chocolate, sugar and gum.

Here are the top 10 countries with the highest per capita consumption of candy in 2016:

Countries

Candy Consumption Per Capita in 2016 (pounds)

1. Germany

28.7

2. Ireland

26.2

3. Switzerland

25.4

4. Austria

24.7

5. United Kingdom

23.4

6. Finland

23.1

7. Sweden

23.1

8. Netherlands

21.8

9. Norway

20.3

10. Australia

19.8

Copyright 2016 U.S. News & World Report

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