Charted: U.S. Egg Prices More Than Double in 2022
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Agriculture

Charted: U.S. Egg Prices More Than Double in 2022

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This chart shows the increase in the national average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in the U.S. in 2022

Charted: U.S. Egg Prices Double in 2022

Eggs are a staple food for many countries around the world, and the U.S. is no exception. Americans eat between 250‒280 eggs a year on average.

Eggs are also easy to cook, protein-dense and supply many daily vitamins needed for healthy living, making them a popular meal or ingredient. So when egg prices rise, people notice.

Vizalytiq charted the rapid rise of egg prices in the U.S. during 2022, using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS).

Eggs-asperating Prices

Over the course of 12 months, the national average price for a dozen large Grade A eggs more than doubled, to $4.25 in December from $1.93 in January.

Egg Prices Per Month (2022)Price per dozen
January$1.30
February$2.10
March$2.50
April$2.52
May$2.86
June$2.71
July$2.94
August$3.12
September$2.90
October$3.42
November$3.59
December$4.25

The biggest culprit has been an avian flu outbreak that resulted in 43 million chickens culled to prevent the spread of the disease.

This led to a severe shortfall in egg supply. Egg inventories in December had fallen by one-third compared to January. Combined with increasing demand during the holiday season, prices skyrocketed and empty shelves became apparent in some states.

This is not the first time avian flu has disrupted the industry.. In 2015, a similar outbreak pushed egg prices up 40% in nine months, reaching a high of $2.97 per dozen eggs in September 2015.

Will Egg Prices Drop in 2023?

Avian flu isn’t the only storm the egg industry has been facing in 2022.

The prices of soybean and corn—the main components of bird feed—account for half of the cost of eggs. They’ve been heavily affected by the war in Ukraine, which has driven grain prices higher.

In the near-term, egg prices are expected to remain high. Containing the avian flu outbreak will remain the biggest factor in determining the prices, but as suppliers increase production, prices may cool off a little in 2023.

Eggs and dairy make up nearly 10% of the average person’s daily calorie intake. Check out the rest of our dietary make-up in Visualizing a Rapidly Changing Global Diet.
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This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

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Agriculture

Charted: 150 Years of Corn, Wheat, and Soy Yields in America

With nearly 180 bushels of corn grown per acre in 2023, this is the data behind the corny American love story.

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Charted: 150 Years of Corn, Wheat, and Soy Yields in America

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

America can grow three-times as much corn from a single acre of land as it can wheat and soy. This is the story of how corn became king in America.

To understand how this happened, we visualize the yields (measured in bushels per acre) for all three crops over the last century. Data for this graphic is sourced from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Corny American Love Story

In 2023, America produced 500 million metric tons of corn, a figure so astoundingly large, it compares to the weight of 87 Great Pyramids of Giza. And all of that corn was grown on 92 million acres of land—an area bigger than Malaysia.

But America’s colossal corn-producing prowess didn’t always exist, as seen in the yield data from 1866.

YearCorn YieldWheat YieldSoybean Yield
186624.311.0N/A
186724.712.6N/A
186826.212.9N/A
186921.813.7N/A
187029.312.1N/A
187127.212.2N/A
187229.411.8N/A
187322.912.9N/A
187422.213.0N/A
187527.711.1N/A
187626.710.9N/A
187725.814.1N/A
187826.213.5N/A
187928.213.0N/A
188027.313.2N/A
188119.811.0N/A
188226.515.1N/A
188324.212.3N/A
188428.314.8N/A
188528.611.4N/A
188624.114.1N/A
188721.913.3N/A
188829.112.1N/A
188929.514.0N/A
189022.112.2N/A
189129.616.5N/A
189224.714.2N/A
189323.812.4N/A
189420.213.5N/A
189528.013.9N/A
189630.012.8N/A
189725.414.0N/A
189826.815.2N/A
189928.012.5N/A
190028.112.2N/A
190118.215.0N/A
190228.514.9N/A
190326.913.7N/A
190428.212.9N/A
190530.915.2N/A
190631.716.0N/A
190727.214.2N/A
190826.914.3N/A
190926.115.5N/A
191027.913.7N/A
191124.412.4N/A
191229.115.1N/A
191322.714.4N/A
191425.816.1N/A
191528.116.7N/A
191624.111.9N/A
191726.213.2N/A
191823.914.8N/A
191926.812.9N/A
192029.913.5N/A
192127.812.7N/A
192226.313.8N/A
192327.813.3N/A
192422.116.011.0
192527.412.811.7
192625.714.711.2
192726.414.712.2
192826.315.413.6
192925.713.013.3
193020.514.213.0
193124.516.315.1
193226.513.115.1
193322.811.212.9
193418.712.114.9
193524.212.216.8
193618.612.814.3
193728.913.617.9
193827.813.320.4
193929.914.120.9
194028.915.316.2
194131.216.818.2
194235.419.519.0
194332.616.418.3
194433.017.718.8
194533.117.018.0
194637.217.220.5
194728.618.216.3
194843.017.921.3
194938.214.522.3
195038.216.521.7
195136.916.020.8
195241.818.420.7
195340.717.318.2
195439.418.120.0
195542.019.820.1
195647.420.221.8
195748.321.823.2
195852.827.524.2
195953.121.623.5
196054.726.123.5
196162.423.925.1
196264.725.024.2
196367.925.224.4
196462.925.822.8
196574.126.524.5
196673.126.325.4
196780.125.824.5
196879.528.426.7
196985.930.627.4
197072.431.026.7
197188.133.927.5
197297.032.727.8
197391.331.627.8
197471.927.323.7
197586.430.628.9
197688.030.326.1
197790.830.730.6
1978101.031.429.4
1979109.534.232.1
198091.033.526.5
1981108.934.530.1
1982113.235.531.5
198381.139.426.2
1984106.738.828.1
1985118.037.534.1
1986119.434.433.3
1987119.837.733.9
198884.634.127.0
1989116.332.732.3
1990118.539.534.1
1991108.634.334.2
1992131.539.337.6
1993100.738.232.6
1994138.637.641.4
1995113.535.835.3
1996127.136.337.6
1997126.739.538.9
1998134.443.238.9
1999133.842.736.6
2000136.942.038.1
2001138.240.239.6
2002129.335.038.0
2003142.244.233.9
2004160.343.242.2
2005147.942.043.1
2006149.138.642.9
2007150.740.241.7
2008153.344.839.7
2009164.444.344.0
2010152.646.143.5
2011146.843.642.0
2012123.146.240.0
2013158.147.144.0
2014171.043.747.5
2015168.443.648.0
2016174.652.751.9
2017176.646.449.3
2018176.447.650.6
2019167.551.647.4
2020171.449.751.0
2021176.744.551.7
2022173.446.549.6
2023177.348.650.6

In fact, for the first half of the 20th century, yields remained range-bound between 20–30 bushels per acre.

Then, there were two miracles. First, the introduction of a drought-resistant variety of the crop (1940s). Then, the introduction of fertilizer, pesticides, and mechanized agriculture (1950s).

Since then, corn yields have climbed at a rate of roughly 1.9 bushel/acre, per year.

Why Are Corn Yields So Much Higher Than Soy and Wheat?

Corn has a high energy density which directly translates into more food per acre. It’s also better at turning sunlight into biomass, meaning it grows faster. Both of these qualities make it the preferred crop to sow.

Compared to soybean (mostly animal feed and export to Asia) and wheat (mostly for humans), it’s also a far more versatile grain.

All of this means it attracts significant investment for varied uses: in animal feed, biofuel production, and the creation of high-fructose corn syrup. This investment helps fund research into the continuous improvement of corn yields.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Despite lower yields compared to corn, the U.S. is still a major wheat producer. Check out Breaking Down Global Wheat Production, by Country, to see where it ranks.

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