Egypt

The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations in Egypt. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. Arab conquerors introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and ruled for the next six centuries. The Mamluks, a local military caste, took control around 1250 and continued to govern after the Ottoman Turks conquered Egypt in 1517.Completion of the Suez Canal in 1869 elevated Egypt as an important world transportation hub. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but the country's nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Egypt gained partial independence from the UK in 1922 and full sovereignty in 1952. British forces evacuated the Suez Canal Zone in 1956. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have reaffirmed the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to meet the demands of Egypt's fast-growing population as it implements large-scale infrastructure projects, energy cooperation, and foreign direct investment appeals. Inspired by the 2010 Tunisian revolution, Egyptian opposition groups led demonstrations and labor strikes countrywide, culminating in President Hosni MUBARAK's ouster in 2011. Egypt's military assumed national leadership until a new legislature was in place in early 2012; later that same year, Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed MORSI won the presidential election. Following protests throughout the spring of 2013 against MORSI's government and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian Armed Forces intervened and removed MORSI from power in July 2013 and replaced him with interim president Adly MANSOUR. Simultaneously, the government began enacting laws to limit freedoms of assembly and expression. In 2014, voters approved a new constitution by referendum and then elected former defense minister Abdel Fattah EL-SISI president. EL-SISI was reelected to a second four-year term in 2018 and a third term in December 2023.     

land

995,450 sq km

total

1,001,450 sq km

water

6,000 sq km

more than eight times the size of Ohio; slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico

desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters

2,450 km

highest point

Mount Catherine 2,629 m

lowest point

Qattara Depression -133 m

mean elevation

321 m

27 00 N, 30 00 E

note: controls Sinai Peninsula, the only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues

36,500 sq km (2012)

border countries

Gaza Strip 13 km; Israel 208 km; Libya 1,115 km; Sudan 1,276 km

total

2,612 km

agricultural land

3.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

0.1% (2018 est.)

other

96.3% (2018 est.)

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula

Nubian Aquifer System

salt water lake(s)

Lake Manzala - 1,360 sq kmnote - largest of Nile Delta lakes

An Nīl (Nile) river mouth (shared with Rwanda [s], Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, and Sudan) - 6,650 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)

Africa

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm or the equidistant median line with Cyprus

territorial sea

12 nm

periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorms called khamsin occur in spring; dust storms; sandstorms

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc

approximately 95% of the population lives within 20 km of the Nile River and its delta; vast areas of the country remain sparsely populated or uninhabited as shown in this population distribution map

vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta

0-14 years

33.8% (male 19,349,395/female 18,243,571)

15-64 years

60.6% (male 34,646,369/female 32,792,151)

65 years and over

5.6% (2024 est.) (male 3,146,720/female 3,069,042)

beer

0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

19.5 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

7% (2014)

58.5% (2014)

4.4% of GDP (2020)

71.1% (2023 est.)

4.3 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world and the third-most-populous country in Africa, behind Nigeria and Ethiopia. Most of the country is desert, so about 95% of the population is concentrated in a narrow strip of fertile land along the Nile River, which represents only about 5% of Egypt’s land area. Egypt’s rapid population growth – 46% between 1994 and 2014 – stresses limited natural resources, jobs, housing, sanitation, education, and health care. Although the country’s total fertility rate (TFR) fell from roughly 5.5 children per woman in 1980 to just over 3 in the late 1990s, largely as a result of state-sponsored family planning programs, the population growth rate dropped more modestly because of decreased mortality rates and longer life expectancies. During the last decade, Egypt’s TFR decline stalled for several years and then reversed, reaching 3.6 in 2011, and is under 3 as of 2022. Contraceptive use has held steady at about 60%, while preferences for larger families and early marriage may have strengthened in the wake of the recent 2011 revolution. The large cohort of women of or nearing childbearing age will sustain high population growth for the foreseeable future (an effect called population momentum). Nevertheless, post-MUBARAK governments have not made curbing population growth a priority. To increase contraceptive use and to prevent further overpopulation will require greater government commitment and substantial social change, including encouraging smaller families and better educating and empowering women. Currently, literacy, educational attainment, and labor force participation rates are much lower for women than men. In addition, the prevalence of violence against women, the lack of female political representation, and the perpetuation of the nearly universal practice of female genital cutting continue to keep women from playing a more significant role in Egypt’s public sphere. Population pressure, poverty, high unemployment, and the fragmentation of inherited land holdings have historically motivated Egyptians, primarily young men, to migrate internally from rural and smaller urban areas in the Nile Delta region and the poorer rural south to Cairo, Alexandria, and other urban centers in the north, while a much smaller number migrated to the Red Sea and Sinai areas. Waves of forced internal migration also resulted from the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and the floods caused by the completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1970. Limited numbers of students and professionals emigrated temporarily prior to the early 1970s, when economic problems and high unemployment pushed the Egyptian Government to lift restrictions on labor migration. At the same time, high oil revenues enabled Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and other Gulf states, as well as Libya and Jordan, to fund development projects, creating a demand for unskilled labor (mainly in construction), which attracted tens of thousands of young Egyptian men. Between 1970 and 1974 alone, Egyptian migrants in the Gulf countries increased from approximately 70,000 to 370,000. Egyptian officials encouraged legal labor migration both to alleviate unemployment and to generate remittance income (remittances continue to be one of Egypt’s largest sources of foreign currency and GDP). During the mid-1980s, however, depressed oil prices resulting from the Iran-Iraq War, decreased demand for low-skilled labor, competition from less costly South Asian workers, and efforts to replace foreign workers with locals significantly reduced Egyptian migration to the Gulf States. The number of Egyptian migrants dropped from a peak of almost 3.3 million in 1983 to about 2.2 million at the start of the 1990s, but numbers gradually recovered. In the 2000s, Egypt began facilitating more labor migration through bilateral agreements, notably with Arab countries and Italy, but illegal migration to Europe through overstayed visas or maritime human smuggling via Libya also rose. The Egyptian Government estimated there were 6.5 million Egyptian migrants in 2009, with roughly 75% being temporary migrants in other Arab countries (Libya, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates) and 25% being predominantly permanent migrants in the West (US, UK, Italy, France, and Canada). During the 2000s, Egypt became an increasingly important transit and destination country for economic migrants and asylum seekers, including Palestinians, East Africans, and South Asians and, more recently, Iraqis and Syrians. Egypt draws many refugees because of its resettlement programs with the West; Cairo has one of the largest urban refugee populations in the world. Many East African migrants are interned or live in temporary encampments along the Egypt-Israel border, and some have been shot and killed by Egyptian border guards.

elderly dependency ratio

7.7

potential support ratio

13 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

60.8

youth dependency ratio

53.2

improved: rural

rural: 99.7% of population

improved: total

total: 99.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.7% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.3% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.3% of population

2.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Egyptian 99.7%, other 0.3% (2006 est.)

note

note: data represent respondents by nationality

1.28 (2024 est.)

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)

female

15.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male

17.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

16.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official); English and French widely understood by educated classes

major-language sample(s)

كتاب حقائق العالم، أفضل مصدر للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

female

76.2 years

male

73.8 years

total population

75 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

67.4% (2021)

male

78.8%

total population

73.1%

22.183 million CAIRO (capital), 5.588 million Alexandria, 778,000 Bur Sa'id (2023)

17 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

24.4 years

male

24.3 years

total

24.4 years (2024 est.)

22.6 years (2014 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

adjective

Egyptian

noun

Egyptian(s)

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

32% (2016)

0.75 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

female

54,104,764 (2024 est.)

male

57,142,484

total

111,247,248

approximately 95% of the population lives within 20 km of the Nile River and its delta; vast areas of the country remain sparsely populated or uninhabited as shown in this population distribution map

1.49% (2024 est.)

Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 90%, Christian (majority Coptic Orthodox, other Christians include Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, Maronite, Orthodox, and Anglican) 10%

improved: rural

rural: 98.2% of population

improved: total

total: 98.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population

female

14 years (2018)

male

14 years

total

14 years

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over

1.03 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

1.06 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

female

0.4% (2020 est.)

male

48.1% (2020 est.)

total

24.3% (2020 est.)

2.65 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

1.9% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

43.1% of total population (2023)

27 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat); Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah (Alexandria), Al Isma'iliyah (Ismailia), Al Jizah (Giza), Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah (Cairo), Al Qalyubiyah, Al Uqsur (Luxor), Al Wadi al Jadid (New Valley), As Suways (Suez), Ash Sharqiyah, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa'id (Port Said), Dumyat (Damietta), Janub Sina' (South Sinai), Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina' (North Sinai), Suhaj

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Friday in April; ends last Thursday in October

etymology

from the Arabic "al-Qahira," meaning "the victorious"

geographic coordinates

30 03 N, 31 15 E

name

Cairo

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

if the father was born in Egypt

dual citizenship recognized

only with prior permission from the government

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic or by one fifth of the House of Representatives members; a decision to accept the proposal requires majority vote by House members; passage of amendment requires a two-thirds majority vote by House members and passage by majority vote in a referendum; articles of reelection of the president and principles of freedom are not amendable unless the amendment "brings more guarantees;" amended 2019

history

several previous; latest approved by a constitutional committee in December 2013, approved by referendum held on 14-15 January 2014, ratified by interim president on 19 January 2014

conventional long form

Arab Republic of Egypt

conventional short form

Egypt

etymology

the English name "Egypt" derives from the ancient Greek name for the country "Aigyptos"; the Arabic name "Misr" can be traced to the ancient Akkadian "misru" meaning border or frontier

former

United Arab Republic (short-lived unification with Syria)

local long form

Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah

local short form

Misr

chief of mission

Ambassador Herro MUSTAFA GARG (since 15 November 2023)

consulate(s) general

Alexandria

email address and website

ConsularCairoACS@state.govhttps://eg.usembassy.gov/

embassy

5 Tawfik Diab St., Garden City, Cairo

FAX

[20-2] 2797-3200

mailing address

7700 Cairo Place, Washington DC 20512-7700

telephone

[20-2] 2797-3300

chancery

3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Motaz Mounir ZAHRAN (since 17 September 2020)

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

embassy@egyptembassy.nethttps://www.egyptembassy.net/

FAX

(202) 244-4319

telephone

[1] (202) 895-5400

cabinet

Cabinet ministers nominated by the executive branch and approved by the House of Representatives

chief of state

President Abdel Fattah EL-SISI (since 8 June 2014)

election results

2023: Abdel Fattah EL-SISI reelected president in first round; percent of valid votes cast - Abdel Fattah EL-SISI (independent) 89.6%, Hazam OMAR (Republican People’s Party) 4.5%, Farid ZAHRAN (Egyptian Social Democratic Party 4%, Abdel-Samad YAMAMA 1.9%2018: Abdelfattah ELSISI reelected president in first round; percent of valid votes cast - Abdelfattah ELSISI (independent) 97.1%, Moussa Mostafa MOUSSA (El Ghad Party) 2.9%; note - more than 7% of ballots cast were deemed invalid

elections/appointments

president elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for 3 consecutive terms); election last held on 10 to 12 December 2023; next to held in 2029); prime minister appointed by the president, approved by the House of Representatives

head of government

Prime Minister Mostafa MADBOULY (since 7 June 2018)

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white)

note

note: similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars in the white band; Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band; and Yemen, which has a plain white band

presidential republic

28 February 1922 (from UK protectorate status; the military-led revolution that began on 23 July 1952 led to a republic being declared on 18 June 1953 and all British troops withdrawn on 18 June 1956); note - it was ca. 3200 B.C. that the Two Lands of Upper (southern) and Lower (northern) Egypt were first united politically

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, BRICS, BSEC (observer), CAEU, CD, CICA, COMESA, D-8, EBRD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, LCBC (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s)

Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) (consists of the court president and 10 justices); the SCC serves as the final court of arbitration on the constitutionality of laws and conflicts between lower courts regarding jurisdiction and rulings; Court of Cassation (CC) (consists of the court president and 550 judges organized in circuits with cases heard by panels of 5 judges); the CC is the highest appeals body for civil and criminal cases, also known as "ordinary justices"; Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) (consists of the court president and NA judges and organized in circuits with cases heard by panels of 5 judges); the SAC is the highest court of the State Council

judge selection and term of office

under the 2014 constitution, all judges and justices selected and appointed by the Supreme Judiciary Council and approved as a formality by the president of the Republic; judges appointed for life; under the 2019 amendments, the president has the power to appoint heads of judiciary authorities and courts, the prosecutor general, and the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; courts of limited jurisdiction; Family Court (established in 2004)

mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws; judicial review of the constitutionality of laws by the Supreme Constitutional Court

description

bicameral Parliament consists of:Senate or Majlis Al-Shiyoukh (300 seats; 100 members directly elected in single seat constituencies, 100 directly elected by closed party-list vote, and 100 appointed by the presidentHouse of Representatives or Majlis Al-Nowaab (596 seats; 448 members directly elected by individual candidacy system, 120 members - with quotas for women, youth, Christians and workers - elected in party-list constituencies by simple majority popular vote, and 28 members appointed by the president; members of both houses serve 5-year terms

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Nation's Future Party 100, independent 100; composition - men 258, women 41, percent of women 13.7%  House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Nation's Future Party 316, Republican People's Party 50, New Wafd Party 26, Homeland Defenders Party 23, Modern Egypt Party 11, Reform and Development Party 9, Al-Nour Party 7, Egyptian Conference Party 7, Egyptian Freedom Party 7, Egyptian Social Democratic Party 7, Tagammu 6, Justice Party 2, Etradet Geel Party 1, independent 124; composition - men 428, women 164, percent of women 27.5%; total Parliament percent of women 23%

elections

Senate - first round held on 11-12 August 2020 (9-10 August for diaspora); second round held on 8-9 September (6-7 September for diaspora) (next to be held in 2025)House of Representatives - last held 24-25 October and 7-8 November 2020) (next to be held in 2025)

lyrics/music

Younis-al QADI/Sayed DARWISH

name

"Bilady, Bilady, Bilady" (My Homeland, My Homeland, My Homeland)

note

note: adopted 1979; the current anthem, less militaristic than the previous one, was created after the signing of the 1979 peace treaty with Israel; Sayed DARWISH, commonly considered the father of modern Egyptian music, composed the anthem

selected World Heritage Site locales

Memphis and its Necropolis (c); Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis (c); Nubian Monuments (c); Saint Catherine Area (c); Abu Mena (c); Historic Cairo (c); Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley) (n)

total World Heritage Sites

7 (6 cultural, 1 natural)

Revolution Day, 23 July (1952)

golden eagle, white lotus; national colors: red, white, black

Al-NourArab Democratic Nasserist PartyCongress PartyConservative PartyDemocratic Peace PartyEgyptian National Movement PartyEgyptian Social Democratic PartyEl Ghad PartyEl Serh El Masry el HorEradet Geel PartyFree Egyptians PartyFreedom PartyJustice PartyHomeland’s Protector PartyModern Egypt PartyMy Homeland Egypt PartyNation's Future Party (Mostaqbal Watan)National Progressive Unionist (Tagammu) PartyReform and Development PartyRepublican People’s PartyRevolutionary Guards PartyWafd Party

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

sugarcane, sugar beets, wheat, maize, tomatoes, potatoes, rice, milk, onions, oranges (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on alcohol and tobacco

4.6% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

37.1% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

expenditures

$96.057 billion (2015 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$69.999 billion (2015 est.)

Fitch rating

B+ (2019)

Moody's rating

B2 (2019)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B (2018)

Current account balance 2020

-$14.236 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$18.611 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$10.537 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external 2022

$97.5 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Africa’s second-largest economy; 2030 Vision to diversify markets and energy infrastructure; improving fiscal, external, and current accounts; underperforming private sector; poor labor force participation; expanded credit access

Currency

Egyptian pounds (EGP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

16.771 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

15.759 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

15.645 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

19.16 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

30.626 (2023 est.)

Exports 2020

$40.102 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$58.339 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$76.295 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

natural gas, fertilizers, garments, refined petroleum, crude petroleum (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Turkey 8%, Italy 6%, US 6%, Spain 6%, India 5% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

19.1% (2023 est.)

government consumption

6.8% (2023 est.)

household consumption

82.6% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-21.3% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

15.2% (2022 est.)

investment in inventories

-2.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture

10.6% (2023 est.)

industry

32.7% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

51.6% (2023 est.)

$395.926 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

31.9 (2019 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

highest 10%

27.5% (2019 est.)

lowest 10%

3.8% (2019 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2020

$72.482 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$94.039 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$97.144 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, wheat, crude petroleum, natural gas, plastics (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 17%, US 7%, Saudi Arabia 7%, UAE 6%, Turkey 5% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-0.57% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals, light manufactures

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

5.21% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

13.9% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

33.88% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

33.431 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

29.7% (2019 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

note

note: data cover central government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions

Public debt 2017

103% of GDP (2017 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$1.729 trillion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$1.842 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$1.912 trillion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.29% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

6.59% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.76% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$15,800 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$16,600 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$17,000 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

7.41% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

5.94% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

6.11% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$39.824 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$32.144 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$33.07 billion (2023 est.)

12.52% (of GDP) (2015 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

7.44% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

7.34% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

7.31% (2023 est.)

female

49.2% (2023 est.)

male

12.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

19% (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

6.77 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

117.879 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

115.575 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

240.225 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

3.083 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

92.8 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

2.733 million metric tons (2022 est.)

production

289,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

182 million metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

176.719 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

1.61 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

176 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

59.248 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

37.615 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

biomass and waste

0.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

88.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

6.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

2.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

2.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

36.463 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

consumption

60.089 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

9.28 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

6.648 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

64.817 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

1.784 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors under construction

4 (2023)

crude oil estimated reserves

3.3 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

851,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

667,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

9 (2020 est.)

total

9,349,469 (2020 est.)

mix of state-run and private broadcast media; state-run TV operates 2 national and 6 regional terrestrial networks, as well as a few satellite channels; dozens of private satellite channels and a large number of Arabic satellite channels are available for free; some limited satellite services are also available via subscription; state-run radio operates about 30 stations belonging to 8 networks; privately-owned radio includes 8 major stations, 4 of which belong to 1 network (2019)

one of the largest and most famous libraries in the ancient world was the Great Library of Alexandria in Egypt (founded about 295 B.C., it may have survived in some form into the 5th century A.D.); seeking to resurrect the great center of learning and communication, the Egyptian Government in 2002 inaugurated the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, an Egyptian National Library on the site of the original Great Library, which commemorates the original archive and also serves as a center of cultural and scientific excellence

.eg

percent of population

72% (2021 est.)

total

79.2 million (2021 est.)

domestic

fixed-line roughly 10 per 100, mobile-cellular 95 per 100 (2021)

general assessment

Egypt’s large telecom market is supported by a population of about 109 million and benefits from effective competition in most sectors; a liberal regulatory regime allows for unified licenses which permit operators to offer fixed-line as well as mobile services; in recent years the government has developed a number of digital migration projects aimed at increasing average broadband speeds, delivering fiber broadband to about 60% of the population, developing an in-house satellite program, and creating a knowledge-based economy through the greater adoption of ICTs; the New Administrative Capital being built is only one of more than a dozen smart city projects, which together are stimulating investment in 5G and fiber broadband, as well as the adoption of IoT and AI solutions; the country endeavors to be a significant ICT hub in the North Africa and Middle East regions; Egypt’s mature mobile market has one of the highest subscription rates in Africa; progress in the adoption of mobile data services has been hampered by the lack of sufficient spectrum; the regulator in September 2020 made available 60MHz in the 2.6GHz band, though the spectrum was not allocated until late 2021; the additional spectrum will go far to enabling the MNOs to improve the quality of mobile broadband services offered; further 5G trials are to be held later in 2022, focused on the New Administrative Capital; the international cable infrastructure remains an important asset for Egypt, which benefits from its geographical position; Telecom Egypt has become one of the largest concerns in this segment, being a participating member in numerous cable systems; in mid-2021 the telco announced plans to build the Hybrid African Ring Path system, connecting a number of landlocked countries in Africa with Italy, France, and Portugal; the system will partly use the company’s existing terrestrial and sub sea cable networks (2022)

international

country code - 20; landing points for Aletar, Africa-1, FEA, Hawk, IMEWE, and the SEA-ME-WE-3 & 4 submarine cable networks linking to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Australia ; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean, 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat); tropospheric scatter to Sudan; microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in Medarabtel (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

11.6 million (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

93 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

103.45 million (2022 est.)

73 (2024)

SU

56 (2024)

by type

bulk carrier 14, container ship 6, general cargo 23, oil tanker 42, other 356

total

441 (2023)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

437.63 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

12,340,832 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

101

number of registered air carriers

14 (2020)

486 km condensate, 74 km condensate/gas, 7,986 km gas, 957 km liquid petroleum gas, 5,225 km oil, 37 km oil/gas/water, 895 km refined products, 65 km water (2013)

key ports

Ain Sukhna Terminal, Al Iskandariyh (Alexandria), As Suways, Bur Sa'id, Damietta, Ras Shukhier

large

5

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

17

size unknown

1

small

8

total ports

31 (2024)

very small

16

standard gauge

5,085 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified)

total

5,085 km (2014)

paved

48,000 km

total

65,050 km

unpaved

17,050 km (2019)

3,500 km (2018) (includes the Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in Nile Delta; the Suez Canal (193.5 km including approaches) is navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m)

the Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF) are responsible for external defense but also have an internal role assisting police and paramilitary security forces during emergencies and in anti-terrorism operations; the EAF also participates in foreign peacekeeping and other security missions, as well as both bilateral and multinational exercises; the military has considerable political power and independence; it has long had a crucial role in Egypt’s politics and has a large stake in the civilian economy, including running banks, businesses, gas stations, shipping lines, and utilities, and producing consumer and industrial goods, importing commodities, and building and managing infrastructure projects, such as bridges, roads, hospitals, and housingthe EAF is the largest and one of the best equipped militaries in the region; key areas of concern for the EAF include Islamist militant groups operating out of the Sinai Peninsula, regional challenges such as ongoing conflicts and instability, and maritime security; since 2011, the EAF has been conducting operations alongside other security forces in the North Sinai governorate against several militant groups, particularly the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); over the past decade, it has deployed large numbers of troops along Egypt's border with Libya, provided air support to the Saudi-led coalition's intervention in Yemen, and most recently boosted its presence on the border with Gaza in response to the HAMAS-Israel conflict; the Navy in recent years has sought to modernize and expand its capabilities and profile in the Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea, including the acquisition of helicopter carriers, modern frigates, and attack submarines; in 2020, the EAF inaugurated a large joint service military base on the Red Sea to secure the country’s southern coasts, protect economic investments and natural resources, and confront security challenges in the Red Sea regionEgypt is a major security partner of the US and one of the largest recipients of US military aid in the region; it also has Major Non-NATO Ally status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperationthe Multinational Force & Observers (MFO) has operated in the Sinai since 1982 as a peacekeeping and monitoring force to supervise the implementation of the security provisions of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace; the MFO is an independent international organization, created by agreement between Egypt and Israel; it is composed of about 1,150 troops from 13 countries; Colombia, Fiji, and the US are the leading providers of troops to the MFO (2024)

Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF): Army (includes Republican Guard), Navy (includes Coast Guard), Air Force, Air Defense Forces, Border Guard Forces; Interior Ministry: Public Security Sector Police, the Central Security Force, National Security Agency (2024)

note

note 1: the Public Security Sector Police are responsible for law enforcement nationwide; the Central Security Force protects infrastructure and is responsible for crowd control; the National Security Agency is responsible for internal security threats and counterterrorism along with other security servicesnote 2: in addition to its external defense duties, the EAF also has a mandate to assist police in protecting vital infrastructure during a state of emergency; military personnel were granted full arrest authority in 2011 but normally only use this authority during states of emergency and “periods of significant turmoil”

approximately 450,000 EAF personnel (2024)

1,000 (plus nearly 200 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA); also has about 350 police deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo under MONUSCO (2024)

the EAF's inventory is comprised of a mix of domestically produced, Soviet-era, and more modern, particularly Western, weapons systems; in recent years, the EAF has embarked on an equipment modernization program with significant purchases from foreign suppliers; major suppliers have included China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and the US; Egypt has an established defense industry that produces a range of products from small arms to armored vehicles and naval vessels; it also has licensed and co-production agreements with several countries, including Germany and the US (2024)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.3% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.3% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1% of GDP (2023 est.)

voluntary enlistment possible from age 16 for men and 17 for women; 18-30 years of age for conscript service for men; service obligation 14-36 months, followed by a 9-year reserve obligation; active service length depends on education; high school drop-outs serve for the full 36 months, while college graduates serve for lesser periods of time, depending on their education level (2023)

note

note: conscripts make up a considerable portion of the military and the Central Security Force

major source of precursor chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics

refugees (country of origin)

70,021 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (mid-year 2022); 52,446 (Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 20,970 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 21,105 (Eritrea) (refugees and asylum seekers), 15,585 (Ethiopia) (refugees and asylum seekers), 10,025 (Yemen) (refugees and asylum seekers), 6,815 (Iraq) (refugees and asylum seekers), 6,802 (Somalia) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2022); 464,827 (Sudan) (refugees since 15 April 2023), 156,159 (Syria) (2024)

stateless persons

10 (2022)

Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA; public economic authority established 2019); National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Science (NARSS; formed in 1994 from the Remote Sensing Center, which was established in 1971) (2024)

has a growing program with a focus on developing the capabilities to manufacture satellites and associated support infrastructure; seeks to become a regional space power; operates satellites; builds satellites jointly with foreign partners but developing localized satellite manufacturing capabilities; acquiring through technology transfers and domestic development programs other space-related technologies, including those related to communications, Earth imaging/remote sensing (RS), and satellite payloads and components; cooperating on space-related issues with a variety of foreign governments and commercial space companies, including those of Belarus, Canada, China, the European Space Agency and its member states (particularly France, Germany, Italy), Ghana, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, Ukraine, the UAE, and the US; also a member of the Arab Space Coordination Group, established by the UAE in 2019; has a commercial space sector that focuses on satellite communications, satellite design and production, RS, and space applications (2024)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Army of Islam; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – Sinai Province (ISIS-SP); al-Qa’ida

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

carbon dioxide emissions

238.56 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

59.68 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

63.16 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters

agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

agricultural land

3.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

0.1% (2018 est.)

other

96.3% (2018 est.)

Nubian Aquifer System

salt water lake(s)

Lake Manzala - 1,360 sq kmnote - largest of Nile Delta lakes

An Nīl (Nile) river mouth (shared with Rwanda [s], Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, and Sudan) - 6,650 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)

0.15% of GDP (2018 est.)

57.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

61.35 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

5.4 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

10.75 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

1.9% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

43.1% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

21 million tons (2012 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

2.625 million tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

12.5% (2013 est.)