Candle craze in the EU: we are burning more candles than ever, and increasingly relying on imports

Tuesday, Dec 23, 2025

HVG

EU candle imports grew significantly in 2024, led by China; Hungary exports mainly to Europe.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

In 2024, imports of candles from outside the EU reached 513 million euros, a 17% increase from the previous year’s 437 million euros, while exports slightly decreased to 450 million euros from 460 million euros. The Netherlands was the largest importer from outside the EU, accounting for 22% of total imports. China dominated imports by value at 382 million euros (75%), followed by Vietnam and the UK. For exports from the EU to non-EU countries, Poland led with 85 million euros, representing one-fifth of total candle exports. The UK was the largest market for products made in the EU, purchasing 127 million euros worth of candles. Switzerland (81 million euros) and the USA (68 million euros) were the next biggest recipients after the UK. Hungarian candle exports grew by over a third between 2020 and 2024, reaching 54.2 million euros in 2024 despite a slight decrease from 2023, maintaining a positive trade balance of 4.06 million euros. Hungary primarily sells its candles to European markets, with Germany being the top destination at 16.3 million euros. Despite growing exports, Hungary also imports significant quantities of candles, with Poland being the largest supplier (22.8 million euros). In Italy, candle manufacturing is deeply rooted in tradition, though production tracking for EU shipments is difficult; scented candles are currently dominating the market over traditional cemetery candles.

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