Egg Consumption Statistics

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Report Highlights

  • Americans are on track to consume about 288.1 eggs per capita in 2022.
  • The US per capita consumption of eggs was only 251 in 2000.
  • Iowa is home to the most laying hens, with about 51.4 million out of 325 million nationwide.
  • The top 10 states that produce eggs produce 63% of all eggs in the US.
  • The average laying hen produces 296 eggs in one year.
  • About 29.3% of all laying hens are cage-free.
  • Of all eggs produced, 6.8% come from 22.3 million organic laying hens.
  • Almost two-thirds (65.7%) of all eggs go directly to retail.
  • Another 27.8% of eggs goes on to be further processed before reaching the store or restaurant.
  • Most (97.1%) of US eggs will stay in the US, and the remaining 2.9% is exported.

egg consumption statistics

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General Egg Consumption

Consuming eggs can be an excellent way to get your protein, but there have been health concerns surrounding the fat and cholesterol content.

Before you get into the details, consider some general statistics regarding egg consumption in the US.

How Many Eggs Are Consumed in the US Each Year?

  • In 1945, Americans consumed the most eggs in a year, at an average of 404 per person.
  • Americans consume about 95 million cartons of a dozen eggs per year.
  • The US comes in 10th for the highest egg consumption per capita after countries ranging from China to Paraguay.
  • Eggs are one of the most versatile foods and ingredients.
  • Large eggs are the standard when it comes to recipes that call for eggs.
  • The most common egg dish in New York state is an egg sandwich.
  • An omelet is the most popular egg dish in the greatest number of states.
  • People in Oregon and Pennsylvania consume frittatas more than any other egg dish.
  • Scrambled eggs are the most common choice for people in North Carolina and West Virginia.
  • The US imports about $74.9 million worth of eggs, usually from Canada.
  • The Vision 365 initiative aims to increase average egg consumption to 365 eggs per year, or one per day.
  • About one in every six eggs in the US comes from Iowa.
  • Indiana and Ohio come in second and third place for egg production, accounting for 47.5 million eggs, combined.
  • Liquid and dried egg products are the most common reasons for further egg processing.
  • Hillandale Farms donated 1.2 million eggs to food banks after New York state sued the farm for price gouging in 2020.
  • The vast majority of eggs we consume come from the chicken breed known as hybrid white leghorns.
  • American and Canadian farms are the two biggest sources of eggs that Americans eat.

Egg Consumption at Home

Many people eat eggs or use them in recipes when cooking at home, and that has only increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Understanding the eggs that make it to your table can help you decide how much to buy and if you should change the brand or store where you get your eggs.

  • In 2020, store brand eggs were preferred by most customers, and over 204 million people bought store brand eggs that year.
  • As of 2022, Americans eat about 38.7 pounds of eggs per person per year.
  • Eggs generally last for four to six weeks after the sell-by date on the carton.
  • Consuming eggs or refrigerating them within two hours of cooking them can help you avoid bacterial contamination.
  • You should cook all egg dishes until they reach at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit to make sure the eggs are safe to eat.
  • Baking can use whole eggs, egg whites, or egg yolks.
  • Egg yolks are responsible for richer foods, while egg whites make baked goods lighter.
  • You can use eggs to thicken a recipe, from puddings to custards.
  • Whole eggs are about 70 to 75% water, with egg whites being 85% water and egg yolks about 50% water.
  • While they don’t cause it, eggs can help increase the browning of baked goods.
  • The price of eggs has risen by 13.1% due to inflation.
  • Increases in chicken food costs have contributed to higher egg prices.
  • The average American consumes about two dozen eggs per month.
  • Assuming you consume the average number of eggs, you could spend $35.04 per person per year on eggs.
  • Inflation in the 1960s allegedly prompted President Lyndon Johnson to issue a warning on eggs and their health effects to help curb demand.
  • The cost of eggs for consumers increased by 22.6% from April 2021 to April 2022.
  • Weekly sales of eggs increased by 36 million cartons after the initial COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
  • Most eggs go to grocery stores, about two-thirds of all eggs that US farms produce.
  • Costco may sell larger packs of eggs (24 for $5), but the price per egg isn’t lower than your average dozen at your local grocery store ($1.33 for 12)

Egg Consumption at Restaurants

Like individuals, restaurants can use eggs for many things, from egg dishes to baked goods and other items.

Consider some statistics that apply to how restaurants use eggs and sell items containing eggs to their customers.

  • McDonald’s and Denny’s are two of the largest consumers of eggs.
  • Both restaurants have started moving to using cage-free eggs.
  • About 8% of all eggs go straight to restaurants.
  • An additional 30% of all eggs are processed before going to restaurants, retail, or other end stages.
  • The Hard Rock in Las Vegas goes through about 1,200 eggs per day, or 30,000 dozen per month.
  • Caesar’s Palace diners consume another 93,000 eggs in a month, over 3,000 per day.
  • Combined, all Las Vegas casinos serve around 253,000 eggs daily, or 92.3 million each year.
  • McDonald’s buys about 2 billion eggs each year.
  • McDonald’s released its famous Egg McMuffin in 1972, 50 years ago now.

Health-Related Statistics

Eggs aren’t the healthiest item, but they also aren’t the worst, and some health concerns aren’t as big of an issue now.

However, you may still want to know about the health of eggs, from the risk of salmonella to environmental health concerns.

  • Since the government dropped its warning against eggs and other foods with high cholesterol, egg consumption has increased significantly.
  • Another reason for this increase is that eggs contain good proteins and fats, like Omega 3s.
  • One large egg yolk contains 200 mg of dietary cholesterol, though that doesn’t directly affect the cholesterol levels in your blood.
  • Not cooking eggs thoroughly can contribute to a lot of illness that proper preparation could avoid.
  • White eggs aren’t as nutritious as brown eggs.
  • Roughly one egg out of every 20,000 has salmonella.
  • Factory farming of eggs can lead to many health problems for the workers and residents near the farms due to toxic gasses and groundwater contamination.
  • Eggs produced today are healthier with 14% less cholesterol than eggs produced in the past.
  • The average egg contains 78 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein.

Egg Production

To better understand egg consumption statistics, you should learn about egg production in the US and how farmers have been able to keep up with demand.

Here are some important facts to know, from the conditions of chickens in farms to developments in farming technology.

  • The USDA estimates that about two-thirds of eggs must be cage-free by 2026.
  • Despite producing 63% of all eggs, the top 10 egg production states only have 44% of all laying hens in the US.
  • Better disease prevention, nutrition, and health have all helped egg farmers increase production in recent years.
  • Egg cartons can choose from four labels: cage-free, free-range, pasture-raised, and certified organic.
  • Roughly 70% of all eggs come from conventional farming methods.
  • About 95% of all eggs in the US come from chickens that are kept in battery cages.
  • Hens can lay up to one egg each day and are most productive when they are between 25 and 39 weeks old.
  • The chicken egg production industry is expected to generate $10.2 billion in revenue in 2022.
  • The US produces about 8% of the world’s eggs.
  • US egg production decreased by about 2% from 2019 to 2020.
  • About 81% of all laying hens produce an egg on a given day.
  • Roughly 12% of all eggs that hatch are hatching eggs rather than table eggs.
  • Cal-Maine Foods, Inc produces and distributes the largest number of eggs in the US.
  • Despite not consuming the second-highest number of eggs per capita, the US produces the second-highest number of eggs after China.
  • In early 2022, avian influenza killed about one-tenth of the hens in the US.
  • Naturally, chickens only produce about 12 eggs per year, but farming has increased that number by about 3,000%.
  • Family farms account for about 97% of all farms in the US.
  • Egg production releases 71% less greenhouse gas now compared to 50 years ago.
  • You’ll find about 16% of all laying hens in the US on farms in Iowa.
  • There’s just about one laying hen in the US for every person in the country.

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