Global Egg Consumption to rise worldwide through 2024
Increasing protein consumption, rising incomes drive consumption of eggs
Around the world, consumption of eggs in 2014 remains higher than a decade ago. This increase is particularly notable in developing countries where changing diets have people consuming a greater number of calories from protein sources like poultry meat and eggs.
In 2014, approximately 179 eggs per person were available for consumption globally. A majority of these eggs came from Asia, which has remained the world’s top regional egg supplier since 1998. The share of eggs supplied for consumption by large farms is projected to grow from just 4 percent in 2006 to 30 percent by 2020.
The United States, a leader in both consumption and production of eggs, saw its egg consumption rise since 2011 to a decade-long high of 263.3 eggs consumed per person in 2014. In 2015, however, the American Egg Board projects consumption will have fallen to 248.5 eggs per person annually. This consumption drop can be partially attributed to higher egg prices with a limited egg supply during the year as producers rebuild layer flocks affected by avian influenza at the end of 2014 and beginning of 2015. Experts believe that although the rebuilding of layer flocks may not be complete until spring 2017, higher egg prices are likely only to last through the end of the year. In spite of movements toward organic foods, almost three-quarters of eggs used in the U.S. are those classified as non-organic.
The generally high consumption in these more mature markets like the U.S. reflects an extra uptake of eggs for processing, as well; in the U.S., for example, total egg production in 2014 was valued at $10.17 billion, of which processing accounts for more than one-third of all eggs used annually compared to just 11 percent in 1975 and 25 percent in 2005.
The rising egg consumption trend can be seen throughout North America. In Canada, where egg consumption volume sat at just 11.64 kg in 2010, about 13.35 kg of eggs were consumed in 2014.
A growing population and rising incomes has also supported increased egg use in the rest of the world. In Spain, at-home expenditure on eggs was estimated at 803 million euros (USD942.2 million) in 2014, notably above the 739.9 million euros (USD839.9 million) spent just a few years ago. Further, in the UK, for example, household spending on eggs has been on the increase almost annually since 2006. Per capita egg consumption in Brazil stood at 182 units in 2014, and the country’s Egg Institute hopes that by 2016, this figure will have risen to 208.
VISION 365
IEC launches plan to double global egg consumption by 2032
The organization hopes to further improve the protein source’s reputation and encourage consumers to eat one egg a day.
The International Egg Commission (IEC) is introducing a new global initiative titled “Vision 365” to grow eggs’ reputation on an international scale.
The new initiative is a decade-long plan that is intended to increase global average egg consumption to 365 eggs per person each year, or one egg per day.
Under the plan, the IEC tells the industry’s story and highlight eggs using scientific facts that prove them to be an essential health food. To help publicize Vision 365, the IEC has released a short video that showcases the strengths of the egg industry along with its hopes of inspiring egg companies around the world to engage in the program.
“Vision 365 is an unmissable opportunity for all members of the egg industry and associated organizations to unite together and show the world how incredible the egg really is,” stated IEC Chairman, Suresh Chitturi. “We, as an industry, know this and we need to ensure that the rest of the world knows it too, by uniting and telling our story. Vision 365 will enable us to do that, positioning the egg industry as a global leader in sustainable protein production.”
“This initiative has great potential to transform the reputation of the egg around the world, and we need the industry’s help to make our ideas a reality. With increasingly differing opinions on what is good for our health and environment, now is the perfect time to promote the power of the egg as an affordable, nutritious, and low impact food source.”
Eggs’ nutritional benefits:
Vision 365 is not the IEC’s only campaign advocating for egg consumption.
In December 2021, the organization launched a series of articles and graphics titled ‘Cracking Egg Nutrition’ to promote why consumers should be eating eggs and the nutritional benefits they have. Each publication is assembled by the IEC’s Global Egg Nutrition Expert Group and features one of the many nutritional egg benefits.
