- The cost of a dozen eggs has surged by 35 percent since June, reaching $3.65 in November, with prices expected to increase further due to bird flu outbreaks and holiday demand.
- The highly transmissible bird flu has led to the culling of millions of chickens, causing a catastrophic reduction in egg supply, including 33 million just this year.
- The spike in egg prices is part of a wider inflationary trend, with beef prices also reaching record highs, resulting in a significant increase in grocery bills, with prices soaring by the largest amount in nearly two years.
- The holiday season, marked by increased demand for eggs, will likely keep prices elevated.
- The skyrocketing prices of basic ingredients like eggs and beef pose a significant financial burden on American families.
The cost of a dozen eggs has surged by 35 percent since June, with prices likely to climb even higher in the coming months.
This unprecedented spike is not just confined to eggs; the price of beef has also reached record highs, leaving American families scrambling to keep up with the mounting grocery bills.
The average price of a dozen eggs in November was $3.65, up from $2.70 in May, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, consumers are finding it increasingly difficult to purchase eggs at these rates, with most stores suffering from a significant shortage of eggs, pushing prices even higher.
In the Washington, D.C. area, for example, prices for a dozen eggs range from $4.59 to a staggering $7.49, with many cheaper options out of stock.
Critics involved in the farming industry believe that the egg crisis stems from another – the highly transmissible bird flu. When a single chicken falls ill, the entire flock must be destroyed by law. This requirement can lead to the destruction of millions of chickens at a time, resulting in a catastrophic reduction in egg supply. The situation is exacerbated by the holiday season, as demand for eggs skyrockets due to increased baking and cooking.
The bird flu outbreak, coupled with the holiday demand, has sent wholesale egg prices skyrocketing by 56 percent in November alone. This surge is expected to continue through December and January, potentially pushing prices even higher. (Related: Largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. halts production because of claimed avian flu outbreaks in Texas and Michigan.)
Bird flu supposedly the reason millions of egg-laying chickens are killed each year
The bird flu outbreak, which entered the United States in late 2021, has led to the destruction of about 33 million commercial egg layers in 2024 alone. This reduction in supply, coupled with the heightened demand during the holiday season, has pushed prices to unprecedented levels.
Brian Moscogiuri, vice president of Eggs Unlimited, a leading egg supplier, warns that prices may soon "flirt with record highs." The last record was set in January 2023 at $4.82 per dozen, a price that could be breached if the current trend continues.
But the egg crisis is only one part of a broader inflationary challenge. The price of beef has also surged to record highs, with a pound of ground beef reaching its highest cost this year back in September. This spike, combined with the increased cost of eggs, has sent grocery bills soaring by the largest amount in nearly two years.
Ryan Hojnowski, an egg analyst at Expana, an agricultural market research firm, explains the holiday-related surge in egg demand.
"Q4 is when we typically see the strongest demand for eggs as consumers tend to bake around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays," said Hojnowski.
As the holiday season approaches, the combination of high demand and reduced supply is likely to keep prices elevated. While there may be some softening of prices once the holiday effects wear off, the exact trajectory remains uncertain.
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