If you’ve been shelling out more cash for eggs lately, get ready – it’s going to stay that way for a while. Egg prices are expected to climb another 20% throughout 2025, thanks to new waves of avian flu outbreaks and ongoing inflation, according to recent reports.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that while food prices overall are set to rise by a modest 2.2%, eggs are taking a harder hit. The aggressive strain of avian flu has wiped out millions of egg-laying hens, tightening supply and driving costs up. In December alone, nearly half of all birds lost to the virus this year were killed, totaling a staggering 17.2 million hens.

Last month, the average price for a dozen large, grade-A eggs jumped to $4.15, up from $3.65 in November. Year-over-year, egg prices have surged more than 36%. As Emily Metz from the American Egg Board put it, “Not to be the bearer of bad news, but we’re in this for a while.”

The holiday season only added to the strain, with demand for eggs hitting record highs. Some grocery stores have even started limiting how many cartons customers can buy to prevent panic buying.

Outbreaks in states like California, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio have made matters worse, with 8.3 million birds lost in January alone. Wholesale egg prices have soared, reaching $7.24 per dozen in New York and $8.35 in California.

As long as the avian flu lingers, expect to pay more for your morning scramble. Supply chain disruptions and losses of young birds are making it tough for the industry to recover. So, if eggs are a staple in your kitchen, consider this your heads-up: they’re not getting cheaper anytime soon.