Cocoa and chocolate prices in Europe have risen sharply ahead of Easter, outpacing overall inflation and highlighting the fragility of global supply chains. According to Eurostat data, consumer prices for cocoa and powdered chocolate increased by 15.3% annually as of December 2025, while chocolate prices rose 15.6% over the same period. These increases place both items among the top five food and non-alcoholic beverage categories with the highest inflation in the European Union, where overall inflation stood at 2.3%.

Experts attribute the surge to disruptions in the cocoa supply chain, particularly due to adverse weather conditions in Africa. Joël Frei, communication officer at the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa, said global cocoa production has become increasingly volatile, with the 2023–2024 cocoa year proving particularly difficult. Revised estimates from the International Cocoa Organization indicate that global output fell from 5.016 million tonnes in 2022–2023 to 4.368 million tonnes in 2023–2024, a 12.9% decline. At the same time, the stocks-to-grindings ratio fell from 34.9% to 26.4%, reflecting a tighter market.

“Shocks on the production side have pushed inventories to historically low levels, leaving markets extremely exposed to further disruptions and driving cocoa prices to record highs,” said Emiliano Magrini, economist at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The impact on consumers has been severe in several countries. Denmark reported the largest annual increase at 30.5%, followed by Lithuania at 30.3%. Austria, Romania, Norway, and Sweden also saw rises above 25%. Among Europe’s largest economies, Germany experienced a 21.4% increase, Italy 20.5%, while France and Spain saw smaller hikes of 14.7% and 12%, respectively. Czechia, Belgium, Serbia, and Portugal recorded relatively minor increases between 1.3% and 3.6%.

The decline in cocoa output was concentrated in the world’s two largest producers. Côte d’Ivoire saw a drop of roughly 20–25%, while Ghana experienced an even sharper decline. Magrini said the reduction was driven by prolonged dry spells and increased disease pressure, including the cocoa swollen shoot virus. Anna Lea Albright, former fellow at the Harvard Center for the Environment, noted that extreme rainfall during flowering and early pod development also contributed to significant yield losses.

Production has recovered modestly in 2024–2025 and is expected to improve further in the 2025–2026 season. Despite this, the market remains structurally thin and vulnerable, with prices sensitive to any additional shocks from weather, disease, or trade disruptions.

As Easter approaches, consumers across Europe are facing higher chocolate costs, reflecting a combination of tight global supply, climate challenges, and logistical vulnerabilities that continue to affect the cocoa industry.

Portugal ranks fourth in the European Union for the share of professionals regularly working 49 hours or more per week in their main job, according to a recent analysis by Randstad Research. The study, which used data from the final quarter of 2025, found that 9.1% of Portuguese employees habitually worked such long hours, well above the EU average of 6.5%.

Only Greece (12.4%), Cyprus (10%), and France (9.7%) had a higher proportion of workers spending at least 49 hours per week at work. The Randstad report highlighted that Portugal’s rate remains higher than that of major EU economies such as Germany and Spain, where the figures were 5% and 6.3%, respectively.

Although long working hours in Portugal have declined since 2000, the study noted that the country maintains a culture of extended work schedules above the European average. Long hours are particularly prevalent among employers and self-employed professionals, with around 35% of employers and 20% of self-employed individuals regularly exceeding 49 hours per week. Among employees, the figure was significantly lower at approximately 6.8%.

The analysis also pointed to positive developments in the qualifications of Portugal’s workforce. The proportion of working-age adults with higher education has tripled since 1992, rising from 11.4% to 33.7% by the end of 2024. By the fourth quarter of 2025, 36.2% of Portuguese workers had completed higher education, still below the EU average of 39.2%. Portugal ranks eighth lowest among EU member states in this regard. Ireland leads the bloc with 57.3% of workers holding higher education qualifications, while Romania has the lowest share at 22.7%.

Despite improvements, the report highlighted that Portugal still has the highest percentage of low-skilled professionals in the EU at 29.1%, nearly double the European average of 14.7%.

The Randstad analysis also examined the role of foreign labour in Portugal’s workforce. In the EU, foreign citizens comprised around 10.5% of the labour force in the fourth quarter of 2025. In Portugal, the share was lower at 7.9%, although this represents a marked increase from 1.4% in 2000. The report noted that the rise over the past two decades reflects the country’s efforts to attract international talent and the growing importance of immigration for sustaining the labour market.

The study shows a workforce in transition: while Portugal continues to face challenges with long working hours and a high proportion of low-skilled professionals, it has made notable progress in education and attracting foreign talent, signaling potential for future economic growth.