The United States (U.S.) has been experiencing an intense shortage of eggs, leading to panic among many consumers to search for alternative sources and other practical solutions.
In the late months of 2024, the Avian influenza, more commonly known as Bird Flu, has been seeing a rise in cases in livestock such as cows and chickens. Outbreaks have been reported in all 50 states, with cases beginning to extend to humans in some states, including California. As birds migrate to different areas between the different seasons, the risk of transmission has become more imminent as poultry continues to become more susceptible to the disease.
The greatly reduced amount of chickens due to the Bird Flu outbreak has led to a diminished supply of eggs, causing prices to skyrocket to unimaginable lengths. Some major egg corporations, like Cal-Maine, have been suspected of capitalizing on the situation, leading to boosts in the company’s profits.
Egg prices have seen a dramatic surge across the country. As of late February 2025, the average cost of a dozen large eggs reached nearly $5, marking a significant 157% increase from prices prior to the outbreak. In some regions, consumers have been said to have been spending upwards of $9 per dozen. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has projected that egg prices will rise by about 41.1% in 2025.
In response to this crisis, the USDA has announced a plan totalling to around $1 billion to stabilize the egg prices and production. From that money, around $400 million will be provided in relief to the affected farmers to help with recovery efforts. In addition, around $100 million has been set aside for vaccine research for these animals in hopes of an easier fate if this deadly flu ever comes flying back.
Internationally, other countries like Canada, Turkey and Taiwan have increased their egg exports to help mitigate and navigate around the shortage. For instance, Turkey is set to ship 15,000 metric tons of eggs to the U.S.
Although the crisis has greatly impacted the U.S., the Bird Flu has claimed the lives of more than 300 million birds worldwide and cases have been reported in 108 countries. Nations, such as Australia, have also seen a large increase in prices of eggs, with Australia seeing record high prices of poultry products since the early 2010’s.
With the Bird Flu beginning to cross over into other species, consumers should expect to continue to see rising egg prices as the virus continues to spread across different poultry products.