• This site requires you to update your browser. Your browsing experience may be affected by not having the most up to date version.
    Please visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ to upgrade.

  • JavaScript has been disabled in your browser. Please enable JavaScript to experience the full functionality of our website.

For Farmers
Free range farmers on range

Farm Sustainability Dashboard

The Farm Sustainability Dashboard has been designed to improve industry best practice and meet evolving community expectations. It has been created for business owners and is appropriate for farms of all sizes.

Australian Egg Industry Overview

Days Eggs two farmers behind hens

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

Made with Flourish
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 

Made with Flourish

 

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

Want to see what an egg farm looks like? Take this interactive 360 degree tour to see how eggs are produced in Australia.

Free range farm with two people