In 2019, world table egg production reached over 82 million metric tons, a 49% increase from the 2000 level, which translates into an additional 27 million tons over the period, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (Figure 1).
China, the U.S., Indonesia, India and Mexico are the top egg producing countries, with China producing an estimated 662 billion eggs in 2020, according to the most recent data available from FAOSTAT (Figure 2).
U.S. egg production situation
The U.S. continues to be a world leader in egg production, and will have increased its egg production by 29.6% from the period of 2001 to 2020, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) latest projections (Figure 3). The country will produce an estimated 9,470 million dozen eggs in 2022, a 1.4% increase over 2021 (Table 1).
According to the latest available data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), the number of laying hens in the U.S. totals 390 million for 2020, which is a decrease from the previous year by almost 9 million (Figure 4). The overall trend since 2000 has been upward, but this is of course contingent on the effects of disease on both humans and animals and economics, among other factors.
The majority of eggs produced around the world are produced in cages in spite of pressure from animal rights groups. The U.S. produced almost 71% of its eggs from layers in cages (Figure 5).
In the EU, almost half of eggs are produced in enriched cages (Figure 6). The EU is expected to continue an upward trend in production over the next decade. The European Commission projects the region’s egg production will reach around 6.8 billion metric tons in 2030, a 7.3% increase over 2020’s production (Figure 7). The U.K., which is excluded from some of the data from the European Union, will have produced an estimated GBP730 (USD$937 million) worth of eggs in 2020, according to the most recent data available (Figure 8).
Mexico has struggled with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic but continues to increase its egg production. Mexico’s Agricultural Statistics Service forecast egg production of almost 3.2 million metric tons by 2022 — an increase of over 17% (0.48 million metric tons) over 2016’s production, according to the latest data (Figure 9).
More data available from the egg production section
Egg production value in the United Kingdom (UK) 2003 - 2020
EU egg production forecast to 2030
EU number of laying hens by cage type 2020
Mexican egg production trends 2016 - 22
Top egg producing countries worldwide 2019
Total number of laying hens in the US 2001 - 21
US egg production trends 2001 - 2020
US quarterly egg production 2020 - 22
