The price of eggs in Belgium has hit record highs, further straining household budgets at a time when Europe's high inflation rate has already left many Belgians increasingly unable to afford food.
According to data recently published by Belga News Agency, an egg in Belgium now costs an average of 16.37 cents: a 3% increase relative to last week, and up from 7 cents compared to this time last year.
The soaring prices are a result of the recent bird flu epidemic, as well as an increase in demand in the run-up to Easter. Moreover, according to agricultural consultant Wouter Wytynck, the high prices are unlikely to subside any time soon.
"The price will probably remain high for a while," he said. "Demand and thus the price will only drop after Easter."
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The rise in egg prices are also caused by, and in turn are a broader symptom of, soaring prices for food and energy across Europe more generally. According to a study published last week by consumer analysis firm Testaankoop, prices for Belgian supermarket goods in February were 19.76% higher compared to the same month in 2022. This broke the previous annual inflation record of 19.67% registered in December last year.
