Inflation, eggsplained

Inflation is a tough egg to crack. We gave it a try anyway. My favorite character in Disney’s 1991 animated classic [Beauty and the Beast]( appears for a split second. As Belle sings her mean song about the pains of living in a “poor provincial” town, we’re briefly introduced to what appears to be a single mom — bags under her eyes, arms full of jostling babies, frazzled to the extreme. “I need six eggs!” she yells in desperation. A shopper at another cart sings, “That’s too expensive.” What does she need the six eggs for? How much are the eggs? How will she take the eggs home with all those babies in her arms? Does she know that Gaston is consuming the town’s supply? I couldn’t help but think that the six-eggs woman would [probably not be a fan of inflation](. The price of eggs is up 13.1 percent. Yes, that’s due to inflation, but it’s also occurring because of a chain reaction of price increases — from the amount it costs to raise chickens, be nice to said egg-laying chickens, and transport those chickens and eggs. It all culminates in more expensive eggs at the store. And suddenly, the exasperated six-eggs woman is more relatable than ever. —[Alex Abad-Santos](twitter.com/alex_abads), senior correspondent Inflation, explained by eggs [eggs on orange background]( Getty Images You may have noticed things are more expensive lately. And by “you may have noticed,” I mean you’ve definitely noticed, because they are, thanks to inflation. Plus, everyone’s talking about it, thanks to stress. From groceries to gas, prices are up on a multitude of items — including one particular consumer staple: eggs. There’s a lot of chatter around exactly why inflation is relatively high, not only in the United States but globally. Some people blame the pandemic, others the supply chain, others government spending, others corporate greed. The truth of the matter is that there is a mix of factors in play, and there’s no one simple answer to how we got here — or solution to how to get out of this. To the average person, the whole thing can feel confusing. [So we figured we’d take a crack at it by deciphering the case of the egg.]( The Consumer Price Index, which measures the average change in prices paid for things like food, clothes, housing, and transportation, was up by 7.5 percent overall over the past year as of January. The price of eggs, according to the measure, was up by 13.1 percent. So what gives? [Read the full story »](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( War TikTok is a mess Social media platforms are amplifying misinformation on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [Read the full story »]( How Kibbe body types became an internet obsession David Kibbe’s out-of-print style guide from the 1980s has unexpectedly spawned an online fandom. [Read the full story »]( More good stuff to read today - [War in the time of crypto]( - [Russia's invasion of Ukraine could make many, many things more expensive]( - [Volodymyr Zelenskyy brings a performer’s skill to wartime politics]( - [Sports betting: Pretty fun, probably terrible]( - [These tiny succulent plants are being poached by the thousands](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=goods). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Policy]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved.