Egg prices are down from last Easter
But still higher than pre-pandemic average
Most Americans wait until Holy Week to shop for Easter, but no matter how long you wait this year, eggs aren’t likely to go on sale for much less than they are now.
Eggs are about $3 per dozen, on average, according to Federal Reserve data. That’s down from January 2023’s record $4.82 a dozen, but still more than double the pre-pandemic average cost of $1.45 a dozen in February 2020.
Even if prices aren’t as eye-popping as they were last year, they might still be expensive enough to dissuade some people from coloring a lot of eggs.
Others may continue to roll with tradition, though People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is suggesting the White House tweak its annual Easter Egg Roll on Sunday to use potatoes instead of eggs.
“Potatoes are cheaper and healthier than eggs and leave birds in peace,” the nonprofit said in a recent news release.
Of the more than 500 consumers polled by research firm Numerator, 65% said they’ll buy eggs to decorate and 21% said they plan to buy more than last year. However, 35% said they don’t plan to buy any eggs to decorate and 11% will buy fewer this year. Of those who are buying fewer eggs or none at all, 25% cited high prices as the deterrent. Overall, 67% of respondents said price was the main consideration when buying eggs for dyeing or decorating.
Whether people see current egg prices as a relief or a hindrance to Easter celebrations depends on their basis of comparison. It “depends upon when and where one establishes the benchmark,” said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at consulting firm RSM US. “If it is four years ago, then the evaluation will tend to be not so good.”
Or it can be relative to how other items at the grocery store are priced. “Eggs are still cheaper than meat,” said Christa Howard Roeh, a mother of three in Chicago.
Even at $5 per dozen, you can eat two large eggs for dinner for about $0.85, and they provide protein, omega-3, vitamins and other valuable nutrients, said Brian Moscogiuri, a global trade strategist at Eggs Unlimited, an egg supplier.
That’s a bargain compared with one classic Cadbury creme egg, which costs more than $1.
Egg prices soared to about $4.82 per dozen in January 2023 after an outbreak of avian flu. But prices started to fall after the flu subsided, with eggs dropping to about $3.27 a dozen by last Easter – a record high Easter price.
Egg sales weakened during the two weeks before the holiday as compared with the prior year, according to Datasembly, which tracks prices and sales in real-time. During those two weeks in 2023, egg sales rose 20.5% above the 52-week average, the data showed.
After egg prices dropped as low as $2.04 a dozen in August 2023, another outbreak of avian flu in November sent prices higher again.