The French have found their gastronomic refuge in a versatile food. Demand has exploded for the king of cheap protein, the egg
Organic eggs, put up for sale in a market in Versailles, near Paris, on February 16, 2018. PHOTO: Ludovic MARIN / AFP / Profimedia
France consumed a record number of eggs in 2025 due to their affordability amid economic uncertainty, and the trend is set to continue, prompting producers to build more shelters, the representative organization of French egg producers CNPO said on Thursday, according to Reuters.
Demand for eggs has increased in Europe and around the world as they are seen as a cost-effective source of protein, suitable for a wide variety of dishes and dietary preferences.
According to CNPO data, each French person ate an average of 237 eggs in 2025, either in shell or as processed egg products, up from 227 eggs in 2024.
Forecasts by the Agricultural Institute of France (ITAVI) suggest that demand will continue to grow, with estimates for the consumption of 269 eggs per person annually in 2035, of which 70% would be eggs in shell, notes Agerpres.
“In 2020, demand exploded as people stayed at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. We would have expected the trend to slow down, but it didn't and continued to grow steadily,” Emily Mayer of market research firm Circana told a news conference.
Strong demand has pushed up wholesale egg prices by around 20% over the past year, according to data published by public body FranceAgriMer.
Retail prices for shell eggs in supermarkets have remained relatively stable, thanks to a government mechanism that links food prices to farmers' costs.
To meet the growing demand, French manufacturers increased production, but even so they had trouble keeping up. The egg sector aims to build 575 new poultry houses by 2035 to accommodate an additional 10 million laying hens.
France, meanwhile, relied more on imports which rose 21% in 2025, with Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands the main suppliers, according to CNPO.
Direct deliveries from Ukraine, a major supplier, remain limited, but eggs from Ukraine often enter France via other EU countries, CNPO president Yves-Marie Beaudet said.
Ukraine is Europe's largest external supplier of eggs, with EU imports from Ukraine growing by 67% in the first 10 months of 2025, EU data shows.
