{"id":424488,"date":"2026-02-14T00:38:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T00:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/424488\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T00:38:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T00:38:11","slug":"egg-prices-are-down-34-from-a-year-ago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/424488\/","title":{"rendered":"Egg prices are down 34% from a year ago"},"content":{"rendered":"

What once felt like a luxury seems to be an affordable everyday staple again.<\/p>\n

In January 2025, egg prices climbed high enough that some U.S. retailers were charging more than $9 for a dozen<\/a>. As bird flu reduced supply, grocery shelves emptied and some stores imposed purchase limits. Online, people joked<\/a> about dipping into retirement savings to buy a carton.<\/p>\n

Now, prices are moving the other way.<\/p>\n

Egg prices fell 7%<\/a> in January from the prior month on a seasonally adjusted basis and are down 34.2% from a year ago, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report published Friday<\/a>. The CPI is the government’s main gauge of consumer inflation, tracking how prices change across commonly purchased goods and services.<\/p>\n

The price drop marks the steepest year-over-year decline of all goods and services in January’s CPI report.<\/p>\n

The average price of Grade A large eggs has retreated toward the $2 range \u2014 closer to historical norms, although still elevated compared with pre-pandemic levels, according to U.S. Bureau\u00a0of\u00a0Labor Statistics\u00a0data<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The price swings are largely tied to avian influenza, or bird flu, which has disrupted the U.S. egg supply for several years, affecting over 174 million poultry<\/a>\u00a0since a major outbreak began in early 2022, according to United States Department of Agriculture data.<\/p>\n

Seasonality also plays a role, as demand typically rises during the holiday baking season and eases in January, according to trade association Eggs Unlimited<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A supply shock \u2014 and a rebound<\/p>\n

In January 2025 alone, bird flu wiped out nearly 19 million egg-laying hens \u2014 about 8% of the conventional flock \u2014 according to USDA market data<\/a>. That sudden loss of supply helped push prices higher.<\/p>\n

By contrast, losses in January 2026 total roughly 2.8 million birds<\/a>, or about 1% of the conventional flock.<\/p>\n

While bird flu is still affecting the industry, the scale of disruption is far smaller than a year ago, allowing production to recover.<\/p>\n

The USDA expects average egg prices in 2026 to be about 39% lower than in 2025, reflecting improved production after last year’s outbreaks.<\/p>\n

Still, egg markets remain sensitive to disease outbreaks, and those forecasts can change quickly if a new wave of bird flu tightens supply.<\/p>\n

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