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Money / Personal Finance

How Much A Dozen Eggs Cost The Year You Were Born

Published October 31, 2025•Updated November 3, 2025

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American actor Paul Newman (1925 - 2008) as Luke, attempting to eat fifty hard-boiled eggs in an hour in the film 'Cool Hand Luke', 1967.
Silver Screen Collection / Getty Images

In 2025, egg prices have gone through the roof, with some stores charging over $10 per dozen. The reason is a massive avian flu outbreak that’s wiped out millions of hens, sent supply chains into chaos, and left empty shelves everywhere.

And while today’s prices seem outrageous, the cost of eggs has fluctuated wildly over the years.

Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we tracked the average price of a dozen eggs from 1940 to 1999, adjusting them for inflation through January 2025 using the CPI Inflation Calculator.

Here is how much a dozen eggs cost the year you were born.

1940

Grocery Store 1940
eBay
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.33
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: Approximately $7.69

In the 1940s, World War II dominated every aspect of life, including the grocery bill. The war effort caused industries to shift to producing military goods, resulting in rationing, supply shortages, and rising food prices, especially for breakfast staples.

Eggs in 1940, when adjusted for inflation, were actually more expensive than today’s prices, which are considered record high. 

The war effort required a rationing system to manage shortages of essential goods, including food items like eggs. The U.S. introduced powdered eggs as a practical alternative to address the scarcity and high cost of fresh eggs. These dehydrated eggs had a long shelf life and were easy to transport,

By the time the war ended in 1945, eggs were still expensive and continued hovering around that range as the economy readjusted.  

1941

Women working in an egg-breaking plant. - Chicago, Illinois [by John Vachon, July 1941]
FNaXQ/Reddit.com
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.40
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: Approximately $9.19

1942

Grocery Store 1942
Amazon/Howard Hollem
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.48
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: Approximately $9.90

1943

1940s 1950s WOMAN HANDS FRYING EGGS IN IRON SKILLET ON ELECTRIC STOVE SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS
H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.57
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: Approximately $10.93

1944

urses counting the eggs that have arrived at the Liverpool Maternity Hospital after their annual egg appeal for 20,000 eggs, England, World War II, 11th April 1940. Already the hospital has received hundreds of eggs for preserving purposes
Hulton Archive
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.55
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: Approximately $10.24

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1945

A woman in a headscarf hands a ration book to a male shopkeeper behind a counter filled with canned goods and boxes, in a grocery store during wartime rationing.
GetArchive
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.58
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: Approximately $10.56

1946

German Military Ammunition Of World War Ii On Ground. Grenades. Photo In Black And White Colors.
bruev/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.59
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: Approximately $10.50

1947

Girl Washing Eggs to Be Sold at Market | 1940 |
Etsy
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.70
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: Approximately $10.55

1948

A man in striped overalls kneels outside by a building, opening a wooden crate filled with rows of eggs. The scene appears to be on a farm or at a rural location.
GetArchive
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.72
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: Approximately $9.84

1949

Four women in dresses stand behind separate cash registers in a vintage grocery store. Wooden crates are stacked in front of them, and store signs hang overhead, including ones for “Cashier” and various grocery items.
Rawpixel
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.70
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: Approximately $9.45

1950

Traditional dishes for Easter breakfast and butter lamb in Poland
gkordus/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.60
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $8.29

The 1950s was the decade of economic prosperity, rising wages, and consumer expansion, often called the Golden Age of American Capitalism. The war was over, the economy was booming, and middle-class families were growing at a faster rate than ever. Americans were buying homes in the suburbs, and stocking up on groceries at the supermarket — because, for the first time, grocery shopping was becoming a true American pastime.

But while life was getting easier, eggs weren’t exactly a bargain yet. Inflation persisted, and the Korean War (1950-1953) led to a resurgence in government spending. But as industrialized farming ramped up, prices steadily dropped.

1951

A woman in a plaid dress and apron uses a stand mixer in a kitchen, preparing ingredients on the counter, including butter, eggs, and a bag of sugar. The scene appears to be from the mid-20th century.
Archive Photos / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.74
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $9.46

1952

Four people stand in a row, carefully handling and arranging eggs on trays in a factory or workplace setting. The room is well-lit, and equipment is visible on the right side of the image.
Turning Eggs by Deutsche Fotothek‎ ((CC BY-SA))
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.67
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $8.21

1953

The 24-hour Ham n Egg restaurant on 51st and Broadway, 1953.
r/TheWayWeWere/Reddit.com
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.70
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $8.55

In 1953, America was feeling the economic consequences of yet another war — the Korean War, which had driven up government spending and inflation. When the war ended that year, the economy slowed down, and the government cut military expenditures, leading to a recession. In 1957, while the U.S. economy took a hit as the country fell into a recession, egg prices continued dropping slightly to $0.57 per dozen.

1954

A man wearing a striped apron places a roasting pan into an open oven in a kitchen, with eggs and cooking utensils on the counter beside him.
Archive Photos / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.59
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $7.12

1955

A young woman holding a basket of eggs, circa 1955.
Archive Photos / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.61
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $7.42

1956

A person stands outdoors holding a large wire basket filled with eggs. Only the person's hands, legs, and basket are visible. The ground is sandy with some sparse vegetation.
Rawpixel
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.60
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $7.27

1957

Large white eggs in open egg carton lying on the grass.
George Karger/Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.57
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $6.71

1958

A woman with wavy dark hair in a dress paints an egg, sitting at a table decorated with ornate, decorated eggs and grass in glass cups. The scene appears vintage and elegant, in black and white.
Archive Photos / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.60
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $6.81

1959

A worker at Merry Log Farms sorts and inspects eggs circa 1960, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Leila Grossman / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.53
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $5.94

1960

A man in a dress shirt and tie cracks an egg into a bowl at a table covered with several cartons of eggs, looking focused and serious.
Keystone / Stringer / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.57
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $6.32

The 1960s were a decade of booming industry, social change, and Cold War tensions. JFK was elected, sent a man to the moon, and was assassinated within three years. The Vietnam War escalated, the Civil Rights Movement gained momentum, and suburban life flourished. Through it all, eggs stayed cheap, whether scrambled at home or served up at a diner with a side of bacon. 

At the start of the decade, eggs were already more affordable than in the post-war years and hit their lowest point by the mid-60s. However, by 1969 costs started creeping back up.

1961

An older woman wearing glasses and a floral apron packs eggs into cartons at a work table, surrounded by stacks of empty cartons and arranged eggs.
GetArchive
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.57
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $6.21

1962

Two young girls sit at a table decorated for Easter, dyeing eggs. The table has bowls of dye, colorful eggs, and a floral tablecloth. The background features patterned wallpaper with flowers and berries.
Slow-moving-sloth/Reddit.com
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.54
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $5.85

1963

A woman in a white lab coat stacks trays of white eggs in an industrial setting under fluorescent lighting, appearing focused on her task.
Serge Attal / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.55
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $5.88

1964

Six brown eggs are arranged in a circular, metal egg holder shaped like a hen, placed on a wooden board with a marble surface in the background.
ihab/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.54
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $5.68

1965

A person wearing a white shirt and jeans holds four brown eggs in their cupped hands. The image is in sepia tone, giving it a vintage feel.
aetb/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.53
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $5.52

1966

Welsh singer Shirley Bassey in her dressing room at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London, UK, 19th July 1966.
John Downing/Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.60
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $6.13

1967

A man wearing a hat and coat stands outdoors in the snow, holding a tray of eggs. A truck, people, and buildings are visible in the background. The scene appears to take place in a winter market setting.
David Turnley / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.49
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $4.84

1968

A soft-boiled egg in an egg cup sits on a wooden board next to a small spoon and a white porcelain tray holding five teacups decorated with pink flowers. A white cloth is in the background.
Etsy
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.53
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $5.05

1969

A cast iron stove with ornate designs is in use, cooking eggs and bacon in pans over an open flame. A hand adjusts the stove, and a kettle and blue pot sit on top, with a brick wall in the background.
George Robinson/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.62
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $5.66

1970

An African American man working at MerryLog Farms in 1970 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Leila Grossman / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.61
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $5.24

The 1970s were a financial headache for most Americans — the decade started with a stable economy, but that didn’t last.

In 1971, the U.S. abandoned the gold standard, weakening the dollar and driving up consumer prices. Things got worse in 1973 when the OPEC oil embargo sent energy costs soaring, triggering one of the worst inflation crises in U.S. history.

Egg prices spiked alongside everything else, and by 1973, they had jumped significantly. The 1974-75 recession brought high unemployment and stagflation, keeping grocery prices high. For the rest of the decade, eggs remained expensive.

1971

A kitchen scene with a frying pan, spatula, lemon, three eggs, a rolling pin, flour in a metal bowl on a red kitchen scale, a red flour bag, and a clear mixing bowl on a wooden surface.
fasphotographic/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.53
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $4.33

1972

A boy and girl eating egg with bacon and toast and jam for breakfast, circa 1970
FPG / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.52
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $4.11

1973

Woman cooking fried eggs on plate isolated on green and red background. Vintage, retro style interior. Food pop art photography. Complementary colors, red, green and yellow.
master1305/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.78
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $5.95

1974

A brown egg sits in an orange egg cup with a wide rim. Yellow and blue egg cups with eggs are partially visible beside it, all on a white surface.
mach0709/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.78
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $5.44

1975

A woman with long dark hair holds a shopping basket and examines a product in the dairy section of a grocery store, surrounded by various packaged dairy items in a refrigerated display.
Richard Harrington / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.77
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $4.80

1976

A woman with short brown hair wearing a blue halter romper over a striped shirt stands in a doorway holding a small woven basket with eggs. She is outside a wooden building, possibly a chicken coop.
Susan Wood / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.84
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $4.91

1977

A person holds two eggs in front of their face, one egg noticeably larger than the other, against a blurred background.
middelveld/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.82
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $4.55

1978

A man with glasses stands in a kitchen behind several trays of eggs, surrounded by shelves with plates and dishes. The background features a photo portrait, a tiled wall, and various kitchen equipment.
AxlCobainVedder/Reddit.com
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.79
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $4.11

1979

Former Beatle Paul McCartney and his wife Linda at Abbey Road Studios in London, for the release of the new Wings album 'Back To The Egg', 11th June 1979.
Keystone / Stringer / Getty Images

The Bureau of Labor Statistics revised the CPI in 1978, which meant they couldn’t release average retail food prices from July 1978 to December 1979.

1980

Six brown eggs are placed on an orange kitchen scale, which is set on a rustic wooden surface with a wooden wall in the background. The scale’s needle points to the weight measurement.
wanrung/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.84
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $3.51

The 1980s started off rough, with high inflation and a deep recession making everything more expensive, including eggs. 

To control inflation, the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates, which slowed things down but also sent unemployment soaring past 10% by 1982. With people spending less, food prices, including eggs, started dropping. By 1985, eggs were ridiculously cheap, hitting some of the lowest prices in modern history.

As the economy picked up in the mid-to-late ‘80s, factory farming and better distribution kept eggs affordable. By the end of the decade, prices had crept up a little, but compared to past years, eggs were still a budget-friendly staple in every kitchen.

1981

Refrigerated shelves stocked with cartons of eggs on the left and glass bottles of milk in various flavors, including white and chocolate, on the right. Some bottles have green and purple labels.
Milk and eggs by liz west ((CC BY))
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.90
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $3.36

1982

Box of 10 eggs isolated on white background.
omersukrugoksu/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.87
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $3.00

1983

A young man and an older woman smile while loading grocery bags into a car. The bags contain paper towels, soda, and other groceries. The scene appears cheerful and friendly.
Djf47021/Reddit.com
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.89
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $2.96

1984

A man in a white coat stands by a counter in a shop, speaking with another man in blue overalls and a white hat. A woman sits in the background near shelves with packaged goods and a radio.
David Turnley / Getty Images
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $1
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $3.19

1985

A person wearing a colorful patterned sweater cracks an egg into a white bowl on a wooden kitchen counter, with butter and another egg on a plate nearby. A stove and pots are visible in the background.
BenAkiba/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.80
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $2.46

1986

Fresh organic chicken eggs on a wooden rustic background
kajakiki/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.87
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $2.58

1987

plate of chicken fried steak with eggs and hash browns
MPKphoto/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.78
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $2.28

1988

eggs in an egg container
siambizkit/shutterstock
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.79
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $2.22

1989

A woman in a floral robe stands in a kitchen, playfully holding two eggs in front of her eyes and sticking out her tongue. A frying pan and eggs are on the counter in front of her.
O2O CREATIVE/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $1
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $2.68

1990

Plate of fried eggs in a street store in old
Maria Teresa Tovar Romero/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $1.01
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $2.57

The 1990s were a great consumer decade, especially for bacon and eggs breakfasts.

The economy boomed throughout the decade, and Americans enjoyed one of the most stable financial periods in recent history. With industrialized farming and advancements in food production, egg prices remained consistently low, even as demand increased. The rise of mass production and a stable economy made eggs more accessible and affordable than in many previous decades.

1991

fresh eggs in paper tray on white surface
Михаил Руденко/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.99
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $2.39

1992

Girl at supermarket holding cotton shopper bag and buying eggs in craft package without plastic bags. Zero waste, plastic free concept. Sustainable lifestyle. Banner
jchizhe/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.86
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $2.02

1993

A person holds an open carton containing six brown eggs in a grocery store, with shelves of assorted products visible in the blurred background.
FredFroese/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.91
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $2.07

1994

Eggs background. Closeup view of eggs in carton box on wooden table. Food and health concept.
Nacho Mena/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.86
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $1.91

1995

Fresh chicken eggs for choosing in supermarket, buying and hoarding during the Covid-19, Corona virus epidemic. Preparing for pathogen virus pandemic
sommart/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.92
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $1.99

1996

Crates of eggs at farmers market.
HadelProductions/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $1.11
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $2.34

1997

Dozens of brown eggs are moving along a yellow and silver conveyor belt, likely in an egg processing or packaging facility.
barbaragibbbons/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $1.06
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $2.16

1998

Chicken eggs in egg tray for sale in supermarket
Bowonpat Sakaew/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $1.04
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $2.09

1999

A woman in a pink shirt shops for eggs in a grocery store, reaching for a carton on a shelf while holding a patterned reusable bag.
97/istockphoto
  • Price of a dozen eggs: $0.96
  • Adjusted for 2025 inflation: $1.90

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Alex Andonovska

Alex Andonovska is a staff writer at Cheapism and MediaFeed, based in Porto, Portugal. With 12 years of writing and editing at places like VintageNews.com, she’s your go-to for all things travel, food, and lifestyle. Alex specializes in turning “shower thoughts” into well-researched articles and sharing fun facts that are mostly useless but sure to bring a smile to your face. When she’s not working, you’ll find her exploring second-hand shops, antique stores, and flea markets.