The egg industry is made up of a diverse range of businesses, from large vertically integrated farms that control rearing, production, grading, packing and transportation, to very small-scale farms that sell to local markets.
Australians consume 17 million eggs every day and farmers work around the clock to supply a range of eggs and egg products to suit everyone. Find out more about Australia's growing egg industry below.
Key Statistics
How many eggs are consumed each year in Australia? Per capita egg consumption grew to 247 eggs in the 2018-19 financial year. With an average egg weighing 58 grams, this equals 14.3 kilograms of egg per person, per year.
How many eggs are produced each year in Australia? In the 2018-19 financial year, Australian egg farmers produced 6.22 billion eggs or 518.1 million dozen eggs.
Where are eggs produced in Australia and who are our top egg-producing states? In the 2018-19 financial year, New South Wales produced 33% of Australia's eggs with Victoria (26%) & Queensland (25%) not far behind.
How many hens are there in Australia's egg industry? In June 2019, Australia's egg industry reported a national flock size of 20,946,659 layers or 28,605,990 layers and pullets.
What farming systems are used to produce eggs in Australia? There are three main egg farming systems used in Australia: free range, cage and barn-laid. Free range egg production has grown significantly over the last 15 years and now makes up 47% of all grocery retail sales. However, there remains strong demand for cage and barn-laid eggs as an affordable source of high-quality protein.
Egg production
| Eggs Produced | Dozens Produced | |
| 2018-19 FY | 6.22 billion eggs | 518.1 million dozen |
| 2017-18 FY | 6.18 billion eggs | 515.7 million dozen |
| 2016-17 FY | 5.51 billion eggs | 459.2 million dozen |
Egg consumption per capita
| Year | Eggs Consumed |
| 2018-19 FY | 247 eggs per person, per year |
| 2017-18 FY | 245 eggs per person, per year |
| 2016-17 FY | 231 eggs per person, per year |
| 2015-16 FY | 226 eggs per person, per year |
| 2014-15 FY | 221 eggs per person, per year |
Major supermarket egg sales
| Year | Sales Volume | Sales Value |
| 2018-19 FY | 230.8 million dozen | $961.3 million |
| 2017-18 FY | 229.7 million dozen | $940.6 million |
| 2016-17 FY | 218.4 million dozen | $930 million |
| 2015-16 FY | 207.6 million dozen | $880.8 million |
| 2014-15 FY | 194.2 million dozen | $846.1 million |
Supermarket Sales By Farming System
2018-19 FY.
|
Farming System |
Sales Volume |
Sales Value |
|
Free range |
47% |
56% |
|
Cage |
40% |
30% |
|
Barn-laid |
11% |
11% |
|
Speciality |
2% |
3% |
FLOCK SIZE
As at June 2019.
| Layers and pullets | Layers |
| 28,605,990 | 20,946,659 |
State flock percentages
2018-19 FY.
| State Flock Percentages | Proportion |
| New South Wales | 33% |
| Victoria | 26% |
| Queensland | 25% |
| Western Australia | 8% |
| South Australia and Northern Territory | 7% |
| Tasmania | 1% |
Australian Eggs is a member owned not-for-profit company providing marketing and research & development (R&D) services for the benefit of Australian egg farmers. To find out more about the Australian egg industry view our most recent annual reports here.