Australian Egg Industry Overview
Australian Egg Industry Overview
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 18.9 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 263 eggs in 2022-23 financial year, from 262 eggs in the 2021-2022 financial year. With an average egg weighing 58 grams, this equals 15 kilograms of egg per person, per year.
How many eggs are produced each year in Australia? In the 2022-23 financial year, Australian egg farmers produced 6.68 billion eggs or 557.4 million dozen eggs.
Where are eggs produced in Australia and who are our top egg-producing states? In the 2022-23 financial year, New South Wales produced 34.20% of Australia's eggs with Queensland (31.25%) & Victoria (19.47%) not far behind.
How many hens are there in Australia's egg industry? In June 2023, Australia's egg industry reported a national flock size of 21,829,208 layers.
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 56.5% 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 | |
2022-23 FY | 6.68 billion eggs | 554.7 million dozen |
2021-22 FY | 6.6 billion eggs | 552.7 million dozen |
2020-21 FY | 6.3 billion eggs | 525.2 million dozen |
2019-20 FY | 6.08 billion eggs | 507.39 million dozen |
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 |
2022-23 FY | 263 eggs per person, per year |
2021-22 FY | 262 eggs per person, per year |
2020-21 FY | 249 eggs per person, per year |
2019-20 FY | 246 eggs per person, per year |
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 |
2022-23 FY | 237.7 million dozen | $1,194.7 million |
2021-22 FY | 226.57 million dozen | $1,068.4 million |
2020-21 FY | 242.45 million dozen | $1,107.8 million |
2019-20 FY | 252.31 million dozen | $1,112.8 million |
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
2022-23 FY.
Farming System | Sales Volume | Sales Value |
Free range | 56.5% | 61.7% |
Cage | 26.3% | 20.7% |
Barn-laid | 15.2% | 13.6% |
Speciality | 2% | 4% |
Flock Size
As at June 2023.
Layers and pullets | Layers |
30,076,949 | 21,829,208 |
State flock percentages
2022-23 FY.
State Flock Percentages | Proportion |
New South Wales/ACT | 34.20% |
Victoria | 19.47% |
Queensland | 31.25% |
Western Australia | 6.94% |
South Australia | 6.75% |
Tasmania | 1.38% |
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 report here
Learn More
Sustainability Framework Report 2024
This report completes the sixth annual cycle of the Australian Egg Industry Sustainability Framework. The process was commenced in April 2017 to provide for productive engagement with the Australian community and to guide ongoing industry improvement.
What Are Free Range Eggs?
Demand for free range eggs has grown significantly in Australia over the last 15 years and egg farmers have responded by investing in increased free range egg farming capacity. Free range is now the most popular egg category at the supermarket, making up 47 percent of total retail sales.
What Are Cage Eggs?
Cage eggs make up 40 percent of supermarket egg purchases in Australia. Cage eggs are produced from hens that are housed in cages inside large, climate-controlled sheds.