Egg prices: 'Six eggs used to be £1' — why essentials cost more now

In 2022 some supermarket own-brand six-egg packs were sold for around £1; since then many of those same products have become noticeably more expensive on UK shelves. The drivers include disease-related supply shocks and sharply higher input costs across the chain.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu) outbreaks in 2022 disrupted egg production and packing volumes in the UK and beyond, lifting farm-gate prices and reducing available supply. DEFRA's quarterly statistics recorded lower packing volumes and higher average farm prices in late 2022, while global rises in grain, fertiliser and energy increased feed and operating costs for producers.

Beyond supply-side shocks, scrutiny has turned to the structure of the egg supply chain and retail pricing. Investigations and NGO reports have argued that consolidation and market power allowed some large producers or retailers to benefit when prices rose, a point that has fuelled public debate about whether higher consumer prices reflect only costs or also elevated margins. These debates have appeared in both UK and international coverage.

For shoppers, higher egg prices are part of a broader rise in the cost of everyday essentials that disproportionately affects lower-income households. While eggs are a small share of headline inflation, they are a visible example of how supply disruptions and input-cost inflation feed through to retail bills. Different retailers and private-label strategies have produced variable prices across stores.

Market analysts say prices could ease if bird flu pressures subside and feed/energy costs fall, but structural factors — such as retailer buying power, industry concentration and global commodity volatility — mean that the £1 six-egg price point is unlikely to return as a norm absent material changes in cost structures or policy interventions. Greater market transparency and targeted support for producers and vulnerable consumers are cited as potential mitigants.