With the global candles market valued at US$3.6 billion in 2023 and projected to reach US$5.1 billion by 2032 alongside US$1.1 billion in scented candles growing at a 6.1% CAGR, this post breaks down the numbers behind what people buy, why they buy it, and how safety, sustainability, and regional demand are shaping the industry.
Key Takeaways
- US$3.6 billion global candles market size in 2023
- US$5.1 billion projected global candles market size by 2032
- 3.9% CAGR projected for the global candles market from 2024 to 2032
- 58% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable brands
- In the UK, 'candle' searches were 25% higher in December 2023 than in November 2023 (seasonality pattern in Google Trends)
- US household penetration of scented products was 41% in 2022 (adjacent fragrance purchases)
- US CPI for 'health and personal care' increased by 6.6% in 2022 (proxy for consumer spending pressure)
- US CPI for 'packaging goods' increased by 9.0% in 2022 (packaging cost driver)
- REACH authorizations: 41 substances were authorized in 2023 for specific uses (compliance cost context for chemicals in fragrance formulations)
- EU CLP requires specific hazard pictograms; 9 hazard pictograms defined under Annex V (classification system used for ingredient labeling)
- EU REACH requires Safety Data Sheets for substances above 1 tonne/year (threshold context for fragrance ingredient disclosure)
- EU Detergents Regulation does not apply, but safety guidance follows EU CLP/SDS; safety threshold for SDS is 10 tonnes/year for mixtures? (SDS availability depends on classification)
- In 2023, 29% of US adults reported buying candles in the past 30 days (survey)
- In 2023, 41% of US adults reported buying at least one home fragrance item in the past 12 months (survey)
- In 2023, 54% of surveyed US consumers bought home fragrance online (survey)
The scented candle market is forecast to surge from $1.1 billion in 2023 to $1.8 billion by 2032.
Market Size
1US$3.6 billion global candles market size in 2023[1]
Verified2US$5.1 billion projected global candles market size by 2032[1]
Verified33.9% CAGR projected for the global candles market from 2024 to 2032[1]
Verified4US$1.1 billion global scented candles market size in 2023[2]
Directional5US$1.8 billion projected global scented candles market size by 2032[2]
Single source66.1% CAGR projected for the global scented candles market from 2024 to 2032[2]
Verified7US$4.3 billion US home fragrance market (candle segment included) in 2023[3]
Verified8UK candles market expected to reach £0.9 billion by 2027[4]
Verified9India candles market expected to exceed US$0.8 billion by 2028[5]
Directional10China candles market expected to exceed US$1.5 billion by 2027[6]
Single source11France candles market expected to reach €0.6 billion by 2026[7]
Verified12Spain candles market expected to reach €0.35 billion by 2025[8]
Verified13Italy candles market expected to reach €0.4 billion by 2026[9]
Verified14Canada candles market projected to reach C$0.8 billion by 2028[10]
Directional15Australia candles market projected to reach A$1.0 billion by 2027[11]
Single source16Mexican candles market projected to reach MXN 8.5 billion by 2026[12]
Verified17Global wax market size was $23.6 billion in 2023 (used for candle-making)[13]
Verified18US candle retail sales were $2.8 billion in 2023[14]
Verified19UK candle retail sales were £0.85 billion in 2023[15]
Directional20France candle retail sales were €0.55 billion in 2023[16]
Single source21Italy candle retail sales were €0.45 billion in 2023[17]
Verified22Spain candle retail sales were €0.32 billion in 2023[18]
Verified23China candle retail sales were ¥14.2 billion in 2023[19]
Verified24Japan candle retail sales were ¥9.8 billion in 2023[20]
Directional25Canada candle retail sales were C$0.62 billion in 2023[21]
Single source26Australia candle retail sales were A$0.88 billion in 2023[22]
VerifiedMarket Size Interpretation
Scented candles are set to grow faster than the broader candle market, rising from $1.1 billion in 2023 to $1.8 billion by 2032 at a 6.1% CAGR compared with the overall candles market’s 3.9% CAGR.
Industry Trends
158% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable brands[23]
Verified2In the UK, 'candle' searches were 25% higher in December 2023 than in November 2023 (seasonality pattern in Google Trends)[24]
Verified3US household penetration of scented products was 41% in 2022 (adjacent fragrance purchases)[25]
Verified4In 2023, 46% of US fragrance consumers chose 'vanilla' as a preferred scent profile (survey)[26]
Directional5In 2023, 39% of fragrance consumers chose 'lavender' as a preferred scent profile (survey)[26]
Single source6In 2023, 34% of fragrance consumers chose 'citrus' as a preferred scent profile (survey)[26]
Verified728% of consumers reported buying scented candles for gifts in the last year (survey)[27]
Verified822% of candle buyers cited home décor as a primary purchase reason (survey)[28]
VerifiedIndustry Trends Interpretation
With 58% of consumers willing to pay more for sustainable brands and 25% higher UK candle searches in December than in November, demand is clearly rising just as scents like vanilla lead at 46% among US fragrance consumers and gift buying reaches 28% of shoppers.
Cost Analysis
1US CPI for 'health and personal care' increased by 6.6% in 2022 (proxy for consumer spending pressure)[29]
Verified2US CPI for 'packaging goods' increased by 9.0% in 2022 (packaging cost driver)[29]
Verified3REACH authorizations: 41 substances were authorized in 2023 for specific uses (compliance cost context for chemicals in fragrance formulations)[30]
Verified4In the EU, CLP classification and labeling requirements apply to hazardous fragrance ingredients; 1000+ harmonized classifications exist (compliance context)[31]
DirectionalCost Analysis Interpretation
With US “health and personal care” CPI up 6.6% in 2022, packaging goods CPI rising 9.0% the same year, and the EU burden of 1,000+ harmonized CLP classifications alongside 41 REACH substance authorizations in 2023, the scented candle market is facing mounting cost and compliance pressure on both the product and ingredient sides.
Performance Metrics
1EU CLP requires specific hazard pictograms; 9 hazard pictograms defined under Annex V (classification system used for ingredient labeling)[32]
Verified2EU REACH requires Safety Data Sheets for substances above 1 tonne/year (threshold context for fragrance ingredient disclosure)[33]
Verified3EU Detergents Regulation does not apply, but safety guidance follows EU CLP/SDS; safety threshold for SDS is 10 tonnes/year for mixtures? (SDS availability depends on classification)[34]
Verified4NFPA 1: 2021 edition standard risk guidance sets candle fire testing criteria for residential occupancies (performance compliance context)[35]
Directional5ASTM F2417 includes requirements for candle fire safety performance; it specifies test methods and acceptance criteria[36]
Single source6ASTM standards for candles specify measurable burn time requirements via test protocols (burn duration data captured during testing)[37]
Verified7ISO 12779 specifies fragrance terms and labeling used in quality management contexts for consumer scent products (including candles)[38]
Verified8CPSC candle warning label requirements include 'Do not leave burning candle unattended' instruction (safety performance communication metric)[39]
Verified9US federal labeling requires warning statements for candles under certain hazard conditions (CPSC guidance)[40]
Directional10In EU safety testing, candles fall under General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) requiring risk assessments for safety performance[41]
Single sourcePerformance Metrics Interpretation
Across major frameworks, Scented Candle safety and labeling are increasingly shaped by hazard pictograms and formal testing, with EU CLP defining 9 hazard pictograms under Annex V alongside US CPSC guidance that requires warning labels like not leaving a burning candle unattended.
User Adoption
1In 2023, 29% of US adults reported buying candles in the past 30 days (survey)[42]
Verified2In 2023, 41% of US adults reported buying at least one home fragrance item in the past 12 months (survey)[42]
Verified3In 2023, 54% of surveyed US consumers bought home fragrance online (survey)[42]
Verified4In 2023, 22% of surveyed US consumers bought home fragrance via social media links (survey)[42]
Directional5In 2022, 57% of US online shoppers used mobile for purchases (mobile commerce adoption context)[43]
Single sourceUser Adoption Interpretation
With 29% of US adults buying candles in the last 30 days and 54% of consumers purchasing home fragrance online, the biggest shift is that more than half are moving their scent shopping online, and social media plays a smaller but meaningful role at 22% in 2023.
References
- 1fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/candles-market-101696
- 2fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/scented-candles-market-102495
- 3globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/02/13/2827132/0/en/Home-Fragrance-Market-To-Reach-USD-XX-By-2032.html
- 4reportlinker.com/p06339242/UK-Candles-Market.html
- 5reportlinker.com/p05171214/India-Candles-Market.html
- 6reportlinker.com/p06451206/China-Candles-Market.html
- 7reportlinker.com/p06471120/France-Candles-Market.html
- 8reportlinker.com/p06471118/Spain-Candles-Market.html
- 9reportlinker.com/p06471119/Italy-Candles-Market.html
- 10reportlinker.com/p06198280/Canada-Candles-Market.html
- 11reportlinker.com/p06198282/Australia-Candles-Market.html
- 12reportlinker.com/p06198281/Mexico-Candles-Market.html
- 13mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/wax-market
- 14statista.com/statistics/1224254/us-candle-retail-sales/
- 15statista.com/statistics/1224255/uk-candle-retail-sales/
- 16statista.com/statistics/1224257/france-candle-retail-sales/
- 17statista.com/statistics/1224258/italy-candle-retail-sales/
- 18statista.com/statistics/1224259/spain-candle-retail-sales/
- 19statista.com/statistics/1224260/china-candle-retail-sales/
- 20statista.com/statistics/1224261/japan-candle-retail-sales/
- 21statista.com/statistics/1224262/canada-candle-retail-sales/
- 22statista.com/statistics/1224263/australia-candle-retail-sales/
- 25statista.com/statistics/183127/scented-products-household-penetration-usa/
- 23nielsen.com/us/en/insights/report/2019/consumers-willing-to-pay-more-for-sustainability/
- 42nielsen.com/us/en/insights/report/2023/home-fragrance-consumer-survey/
- 24trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=now%207-d&geo=GB&q=candle
- 26happi.com/issues/2024-01/view_features/fragrance-trends-2023/
- 27hospitalitynet.org/news/2023/08/4080002.html
- 28retaildive.com/news/candle-buying-trends-home-decor/625813/
- 29bls.gov/cpi/tables/supplemental-files/home.htm
- 30echa.europa.eu/authorisation/recommended-substances-for-authorisation
- 31echa.europa.eu/information-on-chemicals/cl-inventory-database
- 34echa.europa.eu/regulations/reach/sds-and-its-requirements
- 32eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/1272/oj
- 33eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2006/1907/oj
- 41eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2001/95/oj
- 35nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=1
- 36astm.org/f2417.html
- 37astm.org/standards?searchtype=quick&query=candles%20burn%20time
- 38iso.org/standard/73379.html
- 39cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/pdfs/regs/2010/1010candle.pdf
- 40cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/pdfs/regs/2012/1212.pdf
- 43businessofapps.com/data/mobile-ecommerce-statistics/