Egg Prices Have Nearly Doubled Since 2020: How Much They Could Cost By 2028
Written by
Dawn Allcot
Edited by
Nicholas Morine
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You may have noticed that your Easter eggs cost a bit more than you expected this year, although not as much as last year. Prices for eggs typically rise in the spring, when demand for eggs increases for Easter and Passover.
People use eggs in many dishes for Easter brunch, as well as hard-boiling eggs to color and hide. Eggs represent morning, rebirth, and the continuity of life, which explains their role in Easter and the Jewish Passover Seder.
The egg features prominently in traditional Jewish dishes like matzoh brie, sponge cake, meringues, and other baked goods.
Eggs Have Seen a Precipitous Price Jump
For the past few years, eggs have also represented sacrifice as their prices continue to rise. Eggs jumped to $3 per dozen in 2024, double the cost of $1.45 in February 2020. However, prices are down from 2023, when a dozen eggs cost $4.82, according to USA Today statistics.
The factors that drove egg prices in 2023 are the same in 2024. Outbreaks of avian flu continue across the world. In December 2023, the disease affected 45 commercial flocks and 33 backyard flocks, touching a total of 11.4 million birds. A farm typically needs three to six months to recover from an outbreak and replenish the flock, ABC7Chicago, an affiliate of ABC News, reported.
The high prices of chicken feed also increased the cost of eggs in 2024, with feed representing 70% of a farmer’s operating expenses. Weather and supply chain disruptions drove up the price of wheat, grain, and other foods.
State government regulations also led to higher egg prices in certain parts of the country, according to ABC7Chicago.com. For instance, California and Massachusetts passed laws prohibiting cages for egg-laying hens. The transition to cage-free facilities cost farms more money, and those expenses were passed to consumers in the form of higher egg prices.
How Much a Carton of Eggs Could Cost in Just a Few Years
If the cost of eggs continues to follow this trajectory, doubling in price every four years, eggs could cost $6 by Easter 2028.
However, U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows that’s not likely to be the case. Egg prices are forecasted to decrease by 2.8% in 2024. We can still expect seasonal fluctuations around the major holidays, though, when demand for eggs drives prices higher.
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