This year’s Easter baskets may be under-egged, as boxes of the festive chocolate treats become smaller and more expensive. An annual price comparison by Australia’s consumer watchdog has found that the cost of “pretty much all chocolate products” in the Easter egg category has gone up, said Choice journalist Liam Kennedy. But while most products have stayed the same size, some have been hit by shrinkflation as well.
Cadbury are “definitely our main culprit”, Kennedy said. In 2025, Choice found that the brand’s largest pack of hollow Easter eggs reduced from 408g to 374g, while increasing in price from $12.50 to $15. In 2026, the same product weighs only 340g and costs $18. This means consumers are now paying almost 73% more per 100g than they were two years ago, Kennedy said. “We shone a light on Cadbury for doing this last year and they’ve gone and done it again,” he said.
“They’re not too worried about being called out for this – they’ve doubled down on the tactic.”
Choice found that Cadbury’s entire range of boxed, hollow Easter eggs had gone down in size by at least one egg. “With Cadbury, they make so many chocolate products, they’re so ubiquitous across shelves that we’re very quick to spot … where they’re shrinking it,” Kennedy said.
Easter treats are part of Choice’s ongoing schedule of reviews, so the watchdog has pricing data going back years. They also ask their members to hunt for cases of egg shrinkflation they have spotted on supermarket shelves.
“It’s something that people are very frustrated about,” Kennedy said.
A spokesperson for Mondelēz International, Cadbury’s parent company, said: “Like all chocolate makers, we are navigating significantly higher cocoa and input costs globally.
“While we’ve made carefully considered adjustments to some of our products … with packs adjusted to help manage cost increases while keeping products at key price points. The individual 17g eggs remain the same size.”
In recent years, the price of cocoa has been “volatile”, Kennedy said, which is something manufacturers point to when Choice queries changes to product size.
Mondelēz International’s spokesperson said: “Over the past two years, cocoa prices have reached record highs and remain above historical levels, making chocolate much more expensive to produce.”
However, over the past nine months, cocoa prices have fallen significantly. In February, prices declined to a level not seen since 2023 – although the cocoa used for this year’s Easter egg batch would have been bought well before that decline, Kennedy said.
Cocoa is not the only input into Easter egg prices. With rising transportation costs, alongside other factors, Kennedy said: “The experts aren’t promising there’s going to be … a drop in prices next Easter.”
The spokesperson for Mondelēz International said: “Consumers are encouraged to shop around to find the best value. There are great specials in-store.”
