US egg prices fall for the first time in months but remain near record highs

Retail egg prices in the United States fell last month after setting records at the start of the year, according to government data released Tuesday.

The Consumer Price Index showed the average price for a dozen Grade A eggs dropped to $5.12 in April. It was the first month-to-month decline in egg prices since October 2024.

In March, U.S. egg prices had climbed to a record $6.23 per dozen. It was unclear how much egg prices would fall in April because demand is usually high during Easter.

In April 2024, U.S. egg prices averaged $2.86 per dozen. But they have marched steadily higher because of a persistent outbreak of bird flu, which has killed more than 169 million birds – most of them egg-laying chickens -- since early 2022.