The latest egg production figures for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reveal that between 2022 and 2023, the egg sector grew by 2.3% globally, adding 2 million metric tons (MT), roughly equivalent to the combined egg production of Spain, the U.K. and the Netherlands.
Over this one-year period, egg production grew faster than that of broilers, +2.1%; milk, +1.7%; beef, +1.5%; and pork, +1.4%. At +3.4%, only sheep and goat meat production grew at a faster rate. Since 2013, the egg sector has grown by 32.1%, adding 22.1 million MT. This has allowed average annual per capita egg consumption to increase from 158 to 188.
Who leads?
The 10 top egg-producing countries in 2023 remained the same as in 2022, although Japan, with 2.44 million MT, traded places with the Russian Federation, with 2.59 million MT, for the number seven spot while Indonesia, at 6.51 million MT, is within reach of the third spot, currently taken by the U.S. with 6.53 million MT.
China, producing 30.6 million MT, consolidated its lead position, adding, in 12 months, 916,846 MT of eggs, or roughly the current egg production of France.
These top 10 countries represented 71.9% of 2023’s global production, slightly more than in 2022 (71.4%), with China still accounting for 33.6% of global output.
While our leading countries in terms of output growth between 2022-2023 were expected – China (+0.916 million MT), Indonesia (+0.565 million MT) and India (+0.242 million MT) – when countries are ranked by percentage increase some unexpected countries take the top three positions: Fiji (+139.5%), North Macedonia (+25.1%) and Kenya (+24.6%).
Asia accounted for 93% of the growth in egg production between 2022 and 2023, Latin America accounted for 11.4% of growth, Oceania 1.5% and North America 0.7%. If this total sums up to more than 100%, the reason lies in Europe’s 1.0% production decline and Africa’s 5.5% decrease.
Between 2022 and 2023, 102 countries achieved some growth in egg production, 19 recorded no change while 73 countries, including 18 in Africa, saw a decline. Producing 100,000 MT less, while its population grew by 33 million, meant that Africa’s annual availability of eggs fell from 46 to 44 eggs per person. This trend must be reversed soon as the continent is expected to add an extra 1 billion people by 2050. Production growth must keep up with that of the population. Just to maintain the current low consumption level will require egg production to increase by 68.8% between 2023 and 2050, a compound annual growth rate of 2%.
Appealing packaging spreading
Along with this increase in egg production, packaging and branding of shell eggs is also trending upwards. While buying eggs in nicely designed containers is the standard in North America, Europe, Japan or Australia, it is likely that over half of 2023’s global egg output was still sold in bulk.
In Africa and Asia, which account for 68% of global production, bulk sales are the norm in most countries. However, changes are evident in several countries where a rising urban middle-class wants more from their egg supply. Well-designed packaging, with labels reassuring consumers about the safety, freshness and nutritional value of eggs are now available.
Offering diversity is also expanding, with ever more countries selling branded shell eggs with claims such as improved human nutrition, better animal welfare or greater sustainability. The egg sector has indeed recorded strong growth, both in terms of production and commercial value.
