After a wave of increases, eggs prices fell 12.7% on a monthly basis in April, its largest month-over-month drop since March 1984.
According to April’s CPI report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of a dozen large white eggs clocked in at $5.12, down from the record high of $6.23 in March. Yet prices are still far above last April’s $2.86 as the industry continues to struggle with avian flu.
BLS economist Steve Reed cautions that the decline is small compared to its sharp rise. For April, egg prices are up 49.3% year over year on an unadjusted basis. In March, egg prices were up 60.4% year over year and 5.9% month over month.
Wells Fargo’s Kevin Bergquist said the volume of egg imports during the first three months of 2025 increased by nearly 80%. He noted that while “imported egg products may not have had a direct impact on shell egg prices in the U.S.,” they might have provided some “pricing pressure relief to the overall egg market.”
Bergquist added that consumers are still holding off on adding eggs to their baskets due to their high cost this year. Texas A&M University professor David Anderson told Yahoo Finance the lower demand has contributed to decreasing prices.
Read more: What is inflation, and how does it affect you?
The decline in egg prices brought overall grocery inflation lower, down 0.4% compared to March and up 2% year over year.
Food costs at restaurants and bars increased 0.4% month over month and 3.9% year over year. But overall food inflation dropped 0.1% compared to March, its largest monthly decline in nearly five years.
“That’s been an ongoing issue … the food at home and food away from home going in different directions,” Anderson said.
Five of the six major grocery store food groups saw a decline versus March. Reed said the broad nature of the drop suggests it’s not a fluke, but a real downturn.
The meats, poultry, fish, and eggs category fell 1.6%. The cost of frankfurters is down 5.2%, but beef and veal edged up 0.1%,
Anderson said a smaller cattle supply and the beginning of grilling season are causing prices to increase, and he expects prices to remain sticky given the ongoing supply constraint.
Cereal and bakery products fell 0.5%, dragged lower by frozen and refrigerated bakery products, pies, tarts, and turnovers. Dairy and related products fell 0.2%, with ice cream leading that decline. Fruit and vegetable prices slid 0.4%, in line with previous months.
The sole category bucking the trend was nonalcoholic beverages, with prices up 0.7% over March, partially due to coffee inflation. Coffee prices were up 2.4%, the biggest increase since July of 2022.
Brooke DiPalma is a senior reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@yahoofinance.com.
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