Egg prices in the US are skyrocketing – guess where in the world they are highest

Author: Phillip Reich

Egg prices in the US rose to record levels at the beginning of the year. The national average price of a dozen eggs was $4.77 on January 1, 2023. Twelve months ago, the price of eggs was $1.93.

The culprit of the price explosion has been quickly found – at least as far as Republicans are concerned: “Since Joe Biden took office, the price of eggs has exploded. Daily life has become more expensive under democratic control. We will hold Biden and the Democrats accountable for their out-of-control spending,” tweeted Stephanie Bice, the Republican seat in the House of Representatives since 2021.

And even Donald Trump is using egg prices to shoot at Biden and the Democrats. “The price of eggs has recently increased by 60 percent,” he stated in an election leaflet early this year before getting to work: Biden's economic policies are hurting Americans. President Trump will heal the ailing economy."

However, the economic crisis and the accompanying inflation of around 6.5 percent are at most partly to blame for the misery in the US. The main reason for the price explosion is the outbreak of bird flu in February last year. Since then, some 44 million laying hens have died from the disease or had to be slaughtered as a result. That's five percent of the total U.S. supply.

Eggs are particularly expensive in states like California or Colorado, where only outdoor products can be sold. But even in the Midwest, 12 eggs now average over $4.50. During the corona pandemic, there were no panic buying like toilet paper, but in some places supermarket shelves were still empty around the holidays. Unlike private individuals, certain restaurants and food manufacturers depend on eggs. Due to the scarce supply, they have no choice but to reduce their range or raise prices.

It is difficult to predict when egg prices in the US will fall again and, according to Maro Ibarburu, a scientist at Iowa State University's Egg Industry Center, depends mainly on the course of bird flu: "If cases fall, production will fall. of eggs will gradually increase again in the coming months."

Internationally, however, the USA is still approaching the absolute top. According to the "Global Product Prices" comparison portal, the world's fourth-largest egg producer is currently ranked 5th out of 90 selected countries with a price of $4.77 per dozen eggs. Eggs are only more expensive in Switzerland, Slovakia, Norway and South Korea.

Only at the top of the ranking of the 90 selected countries is Switzerland with an egg price of USD 6.74 per dozen. However, the average income in Switzerland is also higher than the US ($5,404 per month) at about $6,904 per month.