Just in time for Easter, eggs are getting less expensive.
Key Points
- Egg prices have dropped over 34% in 14 months due to recovering flocks and improved biosecurity measures.
- Avian flu outbreaks caused egg price spikes, but specialty eggs showed greater price stability.
- Lower egg prices make them an appealing, affordable protein option compared to rising meat costs.
Consumer grocery budgets have faced significant challenges over the past few years. Food prices surged at an unprecedented rate during and immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing political- and climate-related disruptions continue to drive prices higher, especially in the meat and nonalcoholic beverage categories. However, there is one kitchen staple that has finally decreased in price, and it may continue to get cheaper: eggs.
According to the latest Consumer Price Index summary, egg prices have dropped by more than 34% in the past 14 months alone. EatingWell tapped an industry expert to find out what caused egg prices to spike at the beginning of 2023, when the staple reached a record-breaking average of over $6 a dozen in March 2025, and to more recently decline.
“Over the past several years, commodity egg prices have been highly volatile, driven primarily by recurring outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Each wave has significantly reduced the national hen population, tightening supply and pushing commodity egg prices sharply higher,” explains Tom Flockchief executive officer of Pete & Gerry’s, the largest organic egg brand in the U.S. and a leader in humane egg production.
Commodity eggs, also called conventional eggs, are primarily defined by their affordability and sale as a non-branded staple. Unlike specialty eggs, including organic and pasture-raised, conventional eggs are mass-produced eggs laid by domesticated chickens that are often raised in indoor cage systems.
While flocks raised for specialty eggs are not invulnerable to the avian flu—a highly contagious viral infection caused by influenza A viruses—conventional egg-laying hens were disproportionately affected, greatly due to the constant stressors of their environment.
“When large portions of the national flock are lost, the system has limited short-term flexibility—rebuilding takes time, and that lag directly translates into elevated prices at retail,” says Flocco. “At the same time, these disruptions have accelerated a longer-term structural shift in the category. As commodity egg prices spike, the price gap between commodity and premium offerings narrows, leading more consumers to trade up to pasture-raised and free-range options.”
Flocco notes that humanely raised flocks demonstrate greater price stability and increasingly resonate with consumers seeking higher quality, better animal welfare standards, increased transparency and a more consistent supply.
Now that flocks are recovering, so are supply chains. “As caged and cage-free producers rebuild flocks following prior avian influenza losses, overall egg production has increased, easing the supply constraints that drove prices higher,” says Flocco.
He adds that improved biosecurity measures—including daily flock inspections and enhanced safety measures—across the industry have led to a decrease in the number of large-scale outbreaks. These conditions have further helped to stabilize the system and allow production to normalize more quickly, which also leads to lower and more stable prices.
While it’s hard to say for sure that there will or won’t be another egg shortage in 2026, eggs continue to be a pretty alluring protein option from a price perspective, Flocco says. While many meats, especially beef, continue to climb in price, lower egg prices might make quiche or shakshuka more appealing than ever.
If you want to add some more variety to your go-to roster of egg recipes, these recipes are a great place to start:
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