Inflation pushed up egg prices in the EU in January

Czech consumers have had to fork out 85% more to add an egg to the country's traditional Kulajda soup, while in Hungary prices have risen 80% since January 2022, the bloc's statistics agency said.

German and Austrian egg lovers were luckier, with annual inflation rates of 18% and 19% respectively last year.

As prices continue to rise, headline inflation in the 27-member bloc reached the highest level ever measured in 2022 at 9.2%, compared to 2.9% a year earlier, a separate Eurostat report showed on Thursday.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages were among the hardest hit products, with an average increase of 11.9%.

Other major economies were also hit by higher costs last year, with inflation reaching 8.7% in the US , 2.5% in Japan and 2.0% in China, Eurostat said.