Egg Prices Are Going Up — Again (2024)

In 2023, egg prices hit an all-time high, topping out at about $7 per dozen in some parts of the country. That number was reached thanks to a perfect storm of inflation and a severe bird flu epidemic. Fortunately, by mid-summer, prices had returned to somewhat normal rates. But, according to new reports, we may be headed for yet another expensive egg season, just in time for Easter.

According to Nerdwallet, egg prices are once again on the rise due to another outbreak of bird flu and inclement weather. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that " highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) viruses have been detected in U.S. wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry, and backyard or hobbyist flocks beginning in January 2022." To date, it has affected more than 82 million birds across 48 states.

Nerdwallet pointed to the latest Consumer Price Index, which showed that egg prices increased 5.8% from January to February alone. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) additionally shows that the average cost of a dozen Grade A eggs rose from $2.52 in January to $3 in February. And all this is happening just a week before the Easter holiday, a time when people purchase around 180 million eggs a year, according to Business Insider.

"Typically, as we go into Easter, you see a lot of promotional activity and ads for Easter," Brian Moscogiuri, a global trade strategist at Eggs Unlimited, shared with Axios. "We're not seeing as much of that this year because of those price levels that we're coming off of."

The good news is, as Moscogiuri noted, the demand for eggs usually sharply falls after Easter, rising only again during the winter holidays. Additionally, the USDA's Food Price Outlook for 2024 reported that although all food prices are "predicted to increase 2.9 percent, with a prediction interval of 0.5 to 5.3 percent," in general, "food prices are expected to continue to decelerate in 2024." The report added that egg prices are predicted to decrease 2.8 percent in 2024, "with a prediction interval of -17.2 to 14.6 percent." This wide prediction, the USDA said, reflects the "volatility in retail egg prices." But hey, at least it's better than 2023. Right?