27 August 2025
The European egg market in early 2025 has been shaped by notable shifts in both trade flows and production dynamics. Imports into the European Union rose sharply between January and April 2025, reaching over 50,000 tonnes of egg equivalent, an increase of more than forty percent compared with the same period in 2024. Ukraine strengthened its position as the dominant supplier to the EU, expanding its exports by nearly seventy percent. Other countries, including North Macedonia, Argentina, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, also recorded substantial growth, while imports from the United Kingdom and several smaller suppliers declined. On the export side, the EU maintained its status as a major global player, shipping almost 137,000 tonnes to markets outside the Union, an increase of more than thirteen percent compared with the previous year. The United Kingdom remained the primary destination for EU eggs, followed by Japan and Switzerland, although shipments to both declined slightly. Exports to Israel rose by one quarter, whereas sales to Thailand contracted considerably.
Egg prices in the EU have remained relatively high throughout 2025. The average price of Class A eggs at packing stations stood at approximately €254.76 per 100 kilograms, representing a 31.6% increase over the past 12 months. Internationally, EU egg prices were significantly higher than those in the United States and Brazil, but still below the levels observed in India, where domestic prices rank among the highest in the world. Within the Union, production systems continued to influence price formation, with organic eggs consistently achieving the highest values, while caged eggs remained the lowest.
In terms of production, the EU forecast for 2024 placed total egg output at around 6.7 million tonnes. France and Germany together accounted for roughly thirty percent of production, while Spain, Italy, Poland, and the Netherlands also made major contributions. The structure of the laying flock in 2024 showed that just under forty percent of hens were still kept in enriched cages, with barn systems representing a similar share. Free-range and organic systems continued to expand gradually, accounting for about sixteen percent and seven percent of the total flock, respectively. However, significant differences persisted between member states: countries such as Austria and Sweden were heavily oriented toward alternative systems, while others, including Malta and several Eastern European states, continued to rely heavily on cages.
