Taylor Swift says fans will 'get on it' to reduce egg prices. Here's why costs are so high

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This is an excerpt from the Personal Finance team's weekly Twitter Space, «This week, your wallet.» Check out the latest episode  here , and tune in every Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

Egg prices have entered the zeitgeist.

Comedian Trevor Noah told Taylor Swift at the Grammy Awards on Sunday that the pop star has «the best fans in the world,» subsequently asking if they can help reduce the high price of eggs.

«They'll get on it,» Swift said.

Unfortunately, factors influencing egg prices at the grocery store are likely beyond the control of «Swifties.»

Here are three things to know about egg prices right now.

In December, the average consumer paid a record $4.25 for a dozen large Grade A eggs, according to monthly U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The price more than doubled from $1.79 a year earlier.

Egg prices rose faster than almost any other good or service in the U.S. economy in 2022.

Here's why Swifties are bound to have little impact: High egg prices are largely the result of a deadly and historic outbreak of avian flu in the U.S.

More than 44 million egg-laying hens have died from the disease since February 2022. (Think of it like a lethal and highly contagious equivalent of the flu for humans.)

More from Personal Finance: How high egg prices may trickle into other foods More shoppers turn to dollar stores for groceries TV prices sink ahead of the Super Bowl

Outbreaks persisted through the year, which is rare because they usually wane by summer. The supply shock coincided with peak seasonal demand around the winter holidays. Lower supply plus higher demand meant higher prices.

Higher costs for animal feed, labor and transportation also played a role — as they have in broader food inflation, too.

Even before Noah