Eggs are one of the cheapest and most universal sources of animal protein, yet the plain question, how many do we actually produce, has a precise answer. This study pulls the full FAOSTAT record of egg production, cleans it, and projects where global output is heading.
Production has grown more than six times since 1961
In 1961 the world produced about 15 million tonnes of eggs. By 2024 that figure reached 100 million tonnes, a roughly 6.6-fold climb driven by rising incomes, cheaper feed, and the spread of intensive poultry farming. The solid line below is the historical record. The dashed line is a forecast through 2030, and the shaded cone is its 80% uncertainty band.
A handful of countries lay most of them
Production is strikingly concentrated. China alone accounts for roughly 36% of the world’s eggs, far ahead of any other producer. Together with India and Indonesia, the top three produce more than half of the global total. The United States, Brazil, and Mexico round out the next tier.
About 113 Mt by 2030, if the trend holds
Extending the historical trend points to roughly 113 million tonnes by 2030, with an 80% band running from about 110 to 115 Mt. This is a baseline trajectory, not a market call. It assumes the steady growth of the past continues, and it deliberately does not model bird-flu outbreaks, feed-price shocks, or shifting demand. That honesty is the point: the model is simple, transparent, and fully reproducible from the script linked below.
