Last updated on 8-8-2025 by Laïla Boulbayem
Why do we study dietary patterns of the population?
- What we eat and drink has a direct impact on our health and well-being. By studying dietary patterns in the population (What foods are eaten? At what frequency? By whom?), we can identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions to promote better diets. This knowledge helps address the risk of diet-related diseases and supports the development of healthy, sustainable food systems.
- The current page is focused on the consumption of eggs in the population.
How do we study the consumption of eggs?
- The consumption of eggs was assessed, overall and for different population groups, using data from two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls. Trained interviewers recorded twice, on two non-consecutive days, all the foods and drinks that participants had consumed on the previous day using a specialised computer program (GloboDiet®).
- The mean consumption of eggs (in grams/day) was then calculated using the average consumption over the two recall days of each participant.Since mean distributions are skewed, comparisons between population subgroups should be interpreted with caution.
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In addition to the 24-hour recalls, participants (or parent in case of children) also completed a Food Frequency Questionnaire: they reported how often they consumed a specific food or food group in the last 12 months. On this page, we present the frequency of egg consumption using the following categories: “Never”, “less than once a week”, “1 time per week”, “2-4 times per week”, “5-6 times per week” and “once a day or more”.
- The detailed methodology can be found here.
What is included in the group of “eggs”?
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This group includes eggs eaten with meals (such as fried eggs, boiled eggs, poached eggs, scrambled eggs, etc.) as well as eggs included in dishes prepared at home;
- It does not include eggs incorporated in ready-to-eat foods such as in batter or desserts (e.g. cakes, pies, biscuits, chocolate mousse, etc.).
KEY RESULTS
The mean consumption of eggs in the population aged 3 years and older is 13 g per day
72% of the population aged 3 years and older eat eggs at least once a week
The mean consumption of eggs is the lowest in children aged 3-9 years (9 g per day) and the highest in adults aged 18-39 years (16 g per day) and 40-64 years (14 g per day)
The mean consumption of eggs and the frequency of consumption of eggs do not vary according to the education level
The mean consumption of eggs and the frequency of consumption of eggs is similar in Flanders and in Wallonia
By sex
Mean consumption of eggs (g/day) in the population aged 3 years and older, by sex, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Mean consumption refers to the population mean consumption, calculated from the individual mean consumption over two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls.
- The mean consumption of eggs in the population aged 3 years and older is 13 g/day.
- The mean egg consumption is 12 g/day for women and 14 g/day for men.
Frequency of egg consumption in the population aged 3 years and older, by sex, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- A very small proportion (2%) of the population aged 3 years and older never eats eggs and 26% of the population eats eggs less than once a week. 38% of the population eats eggs once a week and 26% of the population eats eggs between 2 and 4 times a week. Very few people eat eggs 5 or 6 times a week (5%) or every day (3%).
- There are no differences in the frequency of egg consumption between men and women.
By age
Mean consumption of eggs (g/day) in the population aged 3 years and older, by age, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Mean consumption refers to the population mean consumption, calculated from the individual consumption over two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls.
- Older adults (65 years and above) do not include those residing in care facilities, hospitalised individuals, or those who would have required significant assistance during interviews (e.g., people with cognitive impairments).
- The mean consumption of eggs is 9 g/day in children aged 3-9 years, 12 g/day in adolescents aged 10-17 years, 16 g/day in adults aged 18-39 years, 14 g/day in adults aged 40-64 years and 11 g/day in older adults aged 65 years and above.
Frequency of egg consumption in the population aged 3 years and older, by age, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Older adults (65 years and above) do not include those residing in care facilities, hospitalised individuals, or those who would have required significant assistance during interviews (e.g., people with cognitive impairments).
- The proportion of individuals never eating eggs is higher in children (4%) than in adults aged 40-64 years and in older adults (1%). On the opposite, the proportion of individuals eating eggs every day is higher among adolescents and young adults (6%) than among children (2%) and older adults (1%).
- The proportion of individuals eating eggs less than once a week is similar across all age groups (between 26% and 28%).
- Almost half (49%) of the older adults eat eggs once a week, which is higher than in all other age groups. This proportion is also higher among adults aged 40-64 years (40%) than among those aged 18-39 years (29%).
By educational level
Mean consumption of eggs (g/day) in the population aged 3 years and older, by educational level, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Mean consumption refers to the population mean consumption, calculated from the individual mean consumption over two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls.
- The educational level is calculated at the household level by considering the highest diploma obtained by: (i) the respondents or their partner for adults (aged 18 years and above), or (ii) the father and mother (or carer, if applicable) for children and adolescents (aged 3 to 17 years). However, for simplicity, we refer to the educational level of individuals rather than the educational level of their households.
- The mean consumption of eggs is similar in all education groups (12 to 13 g/day).
Frequency of egg consumption in the population aged 3 years and older, by educational level, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Mean consumption refers to the population mean consumption, calculated from the individual mean consumption over two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls.
- The educational level is calculated at the household level by considering the highest diploma obtained by: (i) the respondents or their partner for adults (aged 18 years and above), or (ii) the father and mother (or carer, if applicable) for children and adolescents (aged 3 to 17 years). However, for simplicity, we refer to the educational level of individuals rather than the educational level of their households.
- The frequency of consumption of eggs does not vary according to the education level.
By region
Mean consumption of eggs (g/day) in the population aged 3 years and older, by region, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Mean consumption refers to the population mean consumption, calculated from the individual mean consumption over two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls.
- Brussels is excluded from the regional comparison due to an insufficient number of participants, but is included in the national data for Belgium.
- The mean consumption of eggs is 13 g/day in Flanders and 12 g/day in Wallonia.
Frequency of egg consumption in the population aged 3 years and older, by region, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Brussels is excluded from the regional comparison due to an insufficient number of participants, but is included in the national data for Belgium.
- The frequency of egg consumption is similar in Flanders and in Wallonia.
- The only difference concerns the proportion of individuals who never eat eggs, which is higher in Wallonia (3%) than in Flanders (1%).
Please cite this page as: Sciensano. Food Consumption: Eggs, Food Consumption Survey 2022-2023, June 2025, Brussels, Belgium, https://www.sciensano.be/en/results-national-food-consumption-survey-2022-2023/food-consumption/eggs