As Easter approaches, egg prices in Europe have reached unprecedented levels due to a drop in production caused by bird flu and the rising cost of feed, according to figures from Dutch

government statistics agency CBS.

Across Europe, the average increase in egg prices is about 31%, with the Czech Republic seeing the largest increase of nearly double the price of eggs in one year.

In the Netherlands, eggs are currently 26% more expensive than a year ago. The United States, which experienced the biggest outbreak of bird flu in its history last year, saw a 55.4% increase in egg prices. The Netherlands exports more eggs than it imports, with last year’s total value reaching €1.5 billion, mainly to other European member states, particularly Germany, which imported €700 million worth of Dutch eggs.

The cost of other food items has also increased, pushing up the total cost of grocery shopping by just over 18% compared to last year, according to CBS. Photo by 16:9clue, Wikimedia commons.