Egg prices are soaring across the country, and are set to climb even further this year.
The cost of a dozen eggs has more than doubled since summer 2023, and hit a near-record high of $4.15 in December last year.
While this fell short of the $4.82 record set two years ago, the Agriculture Department predicts prices are going to climb another 20 percent this year.
Shoppers across the country are already paying more than double the average price, and some are even reporting finding empty shelves at their local grocery store.
Some stores have resorted to limiting the number of eggs customers can buy in a bid to combat shortages.
A deadly strain of bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, which is pushing up prices.
‘It’s just robbery,’ Minneapolis resident Sage Mills, who bought eggs to bake a birthday cake last week, told AP News.
‘Eggs used to be kind of a staple food for us, but now you know, you might as well just go out to eat.’
Egg prices are soaring across the country, and are set to climb even further this year
At Market Basket locations in some parts of Massachusetts, shoppers are being asked to limit their purchases to two egg cartons per family, according to CBS News.
In Las Vegas, residents reported finding empty shelves, while in some parts of California locals are being charged $9 a dozen on average.
Anytime the bird flu virus is found on a poultry farm, the entire flock is slaughtered to help limit its spread, according to AP.
And with massive egg farms routinely housing more than 1 million chickens, just a few infections can cause a supply crunch.
More than 145 million chickens, turkeys and other birds have been slaughtered since the current outbreak began, with the vast majority of them being egg-laying chickens.
Cage-free egg laws may also be responsible for some supply disruptions and price increases.
Organic and cage-free eggs are already more expensive than other varieties, but new laws in 10 states set minimum space for chickens or cage-free requirements for egg-laying hens.
At a Target in Chicago on Monday, a dozen large conventional eggs cost $4.49 but a dozen large cage-free eggs were selling for $6.19.
A sign hangs on an empty shelf in a natural food store on January 27, 2025, in Denver
A dozen eggs for sale for $6.71 in a grocery store in Windham, Maine on January 27, 2025
Donald Trump has faced backlash for the rising cost of eggs, despite him pledging to bring down grocery prices on day one of his presidency
The rise in egg costs is outpacing inflation, taking a toll on Americans who are already struggling to digest elevated food prices.
According to a price tracker by CBS News, the average price of a dozen eggs was up 60 percent in December from the year prior.
The annual rate of inflation for food in December, meanwhile, was 2.5 percent, with the cost of food at home rising just 0.3 percent.
Donald Trump has faced backlash for the rising cost of eggs, despite him pledging to bring down grocery prices on day one of his presidency.
Earlier this month, Vice President JD Vance said it is ‘going to take a bit of time’ to bring down grocery prices.
‘There is a lot of reporting out there that is putting the onus on this White House for the increased cost of eggs,’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said when asked about the issue at her first press briefing on Tuesday.
She did not mention bird flu, but added: ‘As far as the egg shortage, what’s also contributing to that is that the Biden admin and Department of Agriculture directed the mass killing of 100 million chickens.’
