We might all be trying to eat healthier and get to the gym, however, a new study has found that Australians haven’t abandoned the chocolate along the way.

The study by Roy Morgan Research and just in time for Easter found the country’s chocolate consumption is on the rise, with more Aussies eating chocolate bars, blocks and boxed chocolates than they were in 2013.

Last year, 68.4 per cent of the population (or just over 13.5 million people aged 14-plus) ate some kind of chocolate in an average four weeks, up from 65.3 per cent (12.5 million) in 2013, the latest data from Roy Morgan reveals.

Consumed by 53.2 per cent of us (up from 47.9 per cent in 2013), chocolate bars are most popular; followed by blocks (41.8 per cent, up from 40.2 per cent) and boxed chocolates (19.2 per cent, up from 16.5 per cent).

Although boxed chocolates are generally marketed as a gift someone would buy for someone else, nearly three-quarters (73.4 per cent) of Australians who buy them in an average four weeks eat them too. This suggests that giving boxed chocolates is just part of the equation, with the subsequent act of sharing them almost as important – a tasty example of the broader retail trend of ‘experiences over things’.

Australia’s five best-selling boxed chocolates and % of buyers who eat them

 

Commenting on the study, Roy Morgan CEO, Michele Levin, said: “It’s safe to say that Australians love their chocolate, and Easter is the ideal time not only to indulge this passion but to share it with others. And it is this act of sharing that gives boxed chocolate its special appeal: not only do those buying it for others experience the satisfaction of brightening someone’s day, but they’re frequently rewarded for their efforts when the receiver offers them their pick of the box!

“Naturally, this is not always the case: some people buy boxed chocolates for themselves, while others (especially around Easter and Christmas) may buy a box for a friend or loved one and receive their own box from someone else—but there’s no doubt that sharing these chocolates adds to the enjoyment.

“In today’s retail landscape, with its gradual shift away from buying ‘things’ in favour of experiences, boxed chocolate offers the best of both worlds,” she said.