Global egg production reached approximately 93 million metric tonnes in 2022, having more than tripled since 1990.
Global egg production reached approximately 93 million metric tonnes in 2022, according to data compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This figure represents more than a tripling of production since 1990, when global output was closer to 30 million metric tonnes. The growth has been driven by population expansion, rising incomes in developing economies, and the continued industrialization of poultry farming across Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The egg has proven to be one of the most scalable protein sources in the global food system, and production figures reflect a sustained decades-long investment in layer hen operations worldwide.
## What Drove the Tripling of Production Since 1990
Three overlapping forces explain the production surge. First, global population grew from approximately 5.3 billion in 1990 to roughly 8 billion by 2022, increasing raw demand. Second, and more significantly for production volume, per capita egg consumption rose sharply in middle-income countries as urbanization moved populations toward diets with higher animal protein content. China accounts for a large portion of this shift, but India, Indonesia, Brazil, and Mexico each contributed meaningfully.
Third, production efficiency improved substantially. Modern hybrid laying strains, notably Hy-Line and Lohmann Brown breeds, produce 300 to 320 eggs per hen per year compared to 180 to 200 eggs from breeds common in 1970. Feed conversion ratios improved in parallel: modern hens require roughly 1.7 to 2 kilograms of feed per dozen eggs, down from higher figures in earlier decades. These efficiency gains allowed production to grow faster than either flock size or land area would suggest.
Infrastructure investment also played a role. Refrigerated transport and distribution networks expanded into previously underserved regions, reducing spoilage losses and making commercial eggs viable in markets that had previously relied on subsistence poultry or alternative protein sources.
## The 93 Million Tonne Figure in Context
Ninety-three million metric tonnes is an abstraction until it is placed alongside other food production figures. Global wheat production in the same period was approximately 770 million tonnes, and total meat production across all species was around 340 million tonnes. Egg production thus represents roughly one-quarter of total meat production by weight, from a source that requires no slaughter and generates a product with a protein density comparable to most meats.
The FAO classifies eggs as one of the most efficient forms of animal protein conversion, requiring less land, water, and feed input per gram of protein than beef, pork, or lamb. This efficiency profile makes eggs a central component of food security planning in low- and middle-income countries.
Production growth is not uniform. Sub-Saharan Africa has seen some of the fastest percentage growth rates since 2000, though from a low base. European production has been more stable, constrained by welfare legislation and market saturation. The tripling since 1990 is predominantly an Asian story, with China alone responsible for a large fraction of the absolute increase.