Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Egg tracker: Prices dropped in June to under $3

A lull in bird flu cases, egg imports, and Americans choosing to buy fewer eggs due to high prices have helped to reduce the average cost of a dozen eggs

Ariana Baio
in New York
,Alicja Hagopian,Graig Graziosi
Thursday 15 May 2025 10:56 BST
Comments
Shoppers scramble to stockpile eggs in Costco as shortage intensifies

The average price of one dozen eggs has continued to drop since an initial decrease in April, down to $2.52 per dozen, on average nationally, which is about 20 cents lower than their price during June 2024.

The decrease comes after eggs spiked to their highest price in recent history. The cost of one dozen Grade A eggs had reached an all-time average high of $6.22 in March after months of steep price rises, surpassing the previous record set in January 2023.

The price decrease comes after one-third of Americans stopped buying eggs — increasing supply — and a lull in new bird flu cases in the spring. President Donald Trump’s administration also began importing eggs from Turkey and Brazil to help increase the U.S. supply and bring down prices, according to Reuters.

The consumer price index only provides data up until April 2025.

Egg prices have become a de facto measure of inflation that has left a mark on the country for the last several years. However, there is more than inflation driving the egg increase. The ongoing bird flu has led to the slaughter of millions of chickens to contain the spread. That has dwindled the supply and increased the price.

Here is the latest on egg prices and what people are finding in their local grocery stores:

What is the current average cost?

Nationwide, the average cost of a dozen Grade A eggs was $2.52 in June 2025.

Eggs have dramatically fluctuated in price over the last four years due to the avian flu outbreak and inflation.

Many Republicans blamed former president Joe Biden for driving up and the cost of eggs with policies that hurt inflation. While the price of eggs peaked during Biden’s presidency in January 2023, by the end of the Biden administration, the cost of eggs was $3.65.

"I remember my very first briefing, I was asked about the cost of eggs, the reporter tried to insinuate this administration was at fault, even though he had only been here for a few days or weeks," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a June 3, 2025 press briefing. "It was a result of the previous administration's terrible polices and in record time, this president has fixed that problem he inherited from Joe Biden, and prices have dropped 61 percent since this president took office."

Trump ran on a campaign highlighting the cost of eggs and promising to bring prices down.

Five years ago, in 2020 during Trump’s first term, a carton of one dozen eggs averaged $1.50.

Egg prices hit an all-time high in March at $6.22 per carton for one dozen Grade A eggs
Egg prices hit an all-time high in March at $6.22 per carton for one dozen Grade A eggs (EPA)

Why did egg prices increase?

Egg prices increased due to a shortage of egg-laying hens across the country, attributable to the contagious avian flu going around.

Per the U.S. Department of Agriculture protocol, each time avian flu is detected in a flock, the entire flock must be slaughtered to prevent the spread of it to other animals or birds on a farm. This means millions of birds are being killed each day while the demand for eggs remains steady.

Some stores have even put limits on how many eggs customers can buy as people have started to panic purchase
Some stores have even put limits on how many eggs customers can buy as people have started to panic purchase (AP)

Will egg prices continue to go down?

Farmers need an opportunity to repopulate flocks. This means the number of confirmed bird flu cases must subside or consumers need to pull back on egg purchases.

Often, during shortages, consumers will over-purchase a product out of fear they will not be able to access it at a later date. This exasperates shortages.

Earlier this year, some supermarkets and local groceries began implementing policies that only allowed customers to purchase one carton of eggs to prevent hoarding.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in