Since 2015, the price of eggs has increased by over 74% in Poland, and by an average of 51% in European Union countries. Easter will be more expensive for Poles than in previous years, not only due to egg prices. Eurostat data shows that since 2015, food prices in the average European’s basket have increased by 43%. , in our country – by 64.7 percent. – VeloBank informed.
- On the occasion of the upcoming Easter, VeloBank analyzed data from Eurostat and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), checking prices and egg production in our country.
- Poland is an important egg producer in the EU – we produce almost 10 billion pieces a year, which gives us sixth place among European countries, which in turn means that every tenth egg in the European Union is laid by a Polish hen.
- According to FAO data, Poles eat on average 163 eggs per person per year. The upcoming Easter holidays are responsible for part of this result.
- Eurostat data shows that since 2015, the price of eggs in Poland has increased by 74%.
“There were situations in the past when the price of eggs rose dramatically, only to become cheaper many months later. This was the case during the bird flu epidemic at the end of 2017. Then egg prices were over 50% higher than two years earlier. However, within two years dropped when the threat to poultry farms decreased,” explains Piotr Arak, chief economist at VeloBank.
The next period of price increases was the recovery of demand in 2021, when the economy was emerging from the lockdowns of the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by the inflation shock caused by rising energy prices, Russian aggression in Ukraine and the destabilization of global agricultural markets. These phenomena can be seen in the prices of eggs, which have recently been cheaper than in the middle of last year, Arak noted.
In February 2024, egg prices were 2.4%. lower than a year ago, when inflation was record high. On average, in the EU, their price has dropped by 2 percent, but there are countries where eggs have become more expensive. This includes: o Sweden (an increase of 12%) or Malta (an increase of 10%). However, egg prices dropped in the Czech Republic and Hungary, by 30 percent respectively. and 19 percent
According to the Integrated Agricultural Market Information System (ZSRIR) of the Ministry of Agriculture, in mid-March this year. the selling price of 100 eggs in packing plants was: (class L) for cage eggs: PLN 62.85; bedding – PLN 75.20; free range – PLN 82.48.
According to data from FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), Poles consume approximately 163 eggs per person per year and this is one of the lowest levels in the European Union. Greeks, Croatians and Bulgarians eat fewer eggs than us. On average in the EU this number is up to 221 eggs per inhabitant. The Dutch consume the most eggs (327), the Germans and Luxembourgers (266 eggs each) and the Spanish (255).
Poland is the sixth egg producer in the EU
Poland is the sixth largest egg producer in the EU with almost 10 billion pieces. The largest producers for own use, but also for export, are currently France and Germany. Poland allocates about one third of its eggs for export, which is why our country is the second largest exporter of these products in the EU (after the Netherlands).
VeloBank’s chief economist noted that the latest available data on egg production and consumption in the EU come from 2021. This means that the situation on this market may have changed due to the war in Ukraine and the import of food products from this country, but Poland certainly remained one of the leaders in egg exports, with over 13%. share in the European market.
In recent years, the prices of not only eggs but also other food products have increased. Eurostat data shows that since 2015, food prices in the EU have increased by an average of 43%. , and in Poland – by 64.7 percent. During this time, food prices have increased the most in Hungary – they are almost twice as expensive as nearly a decade ago. In Bulgaria the increase was 72 percent, in Lithuania 69 percent and in Estonia 66.6 percent. The smallest increase in food prices was recorded in Ireland – 10.5%. – VeloBank informed.