- Egg prices continued to rise in February, surpassing the record-high prices in January.
- Avian influenza has been driving up the cost of the staple food.
- But wholesale prices are falling, suggesting good news could be around the corner.
Egg prices hit another record high in February, but there's a glimmer of hope — wholesale prices are now falling, and egg shortages are easing up.
This could be welcome news in the lead-up to Easter.
The latest consumer price index, released Wednesday, shows that in February, a dozen Grade A eggs cost an average of nearly $5.90 in US cities, surpassing January's then-record high of $4.95.
A year earlier, in February 2024, the average price was just $3 — almost half of the current cost, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI data.
Between December 2024 and January 2025, egg prices in the US saw their biggest spike in 10 years, driving up the cost of grocery shopping.
A widespread outbreak of avian influenza (H5N1 bird flu) is the main culprit. When an outbreak is detected, infected chickens and their entire flock must be culled.
As of February 7, the USDA reported that 116.9 million "layer" hens —bred for egg production — had been removed from the population.
A glimmer of hope
Emily Metz, president of the American Egg Board, said in a statement Wednesday that the avian influenza outbreak is disrupting egg supply.
However, she pointed to some "good news" — demand for eggs has eased, as it usually does before the Easter buying season, which has helped to bring down wholesale prices.
A USDA report published last week said that wholesale prices for graded loose eggs dropped "sharply" and that a respite in bird flu outbreaks had given egg producers a chance to catch up on supply shortages.
Even so, while this could eventually lead to lower prices at the store, this hasn't happened yet.
"Retail price levels have yet to adjust and remain off-putting to many," the USDA report said.
Metz also warned that as the Easter holiday grows nearer, demand for eggs may increase, causing a "second, temporary increase in prices."
It's also possible that eggs may just be more expensive from now on.
"It seems highly unlikely we'll see a $2 egg market anytime soon," Karyn Rispoli, a managing editor for eggs in the Americas at Expana, told Business Insider in January.
The rising cost led to Waffle House adding a 50-cent charge to each egg it sells, and some grocery stores limiting egg purchases.
And, in Pennsylvania last month, 100,000 eggs were stolen from the back of a distribution trailer.
