2022 Edition

Background

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. 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. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks 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 nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty from Britain in 1952. 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, Muhammad MURSI won the presidential election. Following protests throughout the spring of 2013 against MURSI's government and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian Armed Forces intervened and removed MURSI 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 January 2014, voters approved a new constitution by referendum and in May 2014 elected former defense minister Abdelfattah ELSISI president. Egypt elected a new legislature in December 2015, its first House of Representatives since 2012. ELSISI was reelected to a second four-year term in March 2018. In April 2019, Egypt approved via national referendum a set of constitutional amendments extending ELSISI’s term in office through 2024 and possibly through 2030 if reelected for a third term. The amendments would also allow future presidents up to two consecutive six-year terms in office, reestablish an upper legislative house, allow for one or more vice presidents, establish a 25% quota for female legislators, reaffirm the military’s role as guardian of Egypt, and expand presidential authority to appoint the heads of judicial councils. Successful legislative elections were held in October-November 2020, having been delayed for six months.    

Area

land

995,450 sq km

total

1,001,450 sq km

water

6,000 sq km

Area - comparative

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

Climate

desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters

Coastline

2,450 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Catherine 2,629 m

lowest point

Qattara Depression -133 m

mean elevation

321 m

Geographic coordinates

27 00 N, 30 00 E

Geography - note

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; prone to influxes of refugees from Sudan and the Palestinian territories

Irrigated land

36,500 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

2,612 km

Land use

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.)

Location

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

Major aquifers

Nubian Aquifer System

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s)

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

Major rivers (by length in km)

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

Major watersheds (area sq km)

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm or the equidistant median line with Cyprus

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

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

Population distribution

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

Terrain

vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta

Age structure

0-14 years

33.62% (male 18,112,550/female 16,889,155)

15-24 years

18.01% (male 9,684,437/female 9,071,163)

25-54 years

37.85% (male 20,032,310/female 19,376,847)

55-64 years

6.08% (male 3,160,438/female 3,172,544)

65 years and over

4.44% (male 2,213,539/female 2,411,457) (2020 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita

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.)

Birth rate

21.46 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

7% (2014)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

58.5% (2014)

Current health expenditure

4.7% of GDP (2019)

Death rate

4.32 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Demographic profile

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 has plateaued the last few years. 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.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

7.7

potential support ratio

13 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

60.8

youth dependency ratio

53.2

Drinking water source

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

Education expenditures

2.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

note

note: data represent respondents by nationality

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

(2021 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

16.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

male

18.69 deaths/1,000 live births

total

17.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.72 years (2022 est.)

male

73.26 years

total population

74.45 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

65.5% (2017)

male

76.5%

total population

71.2%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

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

Maternal mortality ratio

37 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

24.5 years (2020 est.)

male

23.8 years

total

24.1 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

22.6 years (2014 est.)

note

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

Nationality

adjective

Egyptian

noun

Egyptian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

32% (2016)

Physicians density

0.75 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

107,770,524 (2022 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

1.68% (2022 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2018)

male

14 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.06 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.06 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.08 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.89 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

1.06 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Tobacco use

female

0.4% (2020 est.)

male

48.1% (2020 est.)

total

24.3% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.88 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

43.1% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

43.5% (2020 est.)

male

12.5%

total

17.3%

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

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

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

Constitution

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

Country name

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 (with Syria)

local long form

Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah

local short form

Misr

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant);  Charge d'Affaires Daniel RUBINSTEIN (since 23 August 2022)

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

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

FAX

[1] (202) 244-5131

telephone

[1] (202) 895-5400; [1] (202) 895-5408

Executive branch

cabinet

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

chief of state

President Abdelfattah ELSISI (since 8 June 2014)

election results

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 26-28 March 2018 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister appointed by the president, approved by the House of Representatives; note - following  a constitutional amendment approved by referendum in April 2019, the presidential term was extended from 4 to 6 years and eligibility extended to 3 consecutive terms

head of government

Prime Minister Mostafa MADBOULY (since 7 June 2018)

Flag description

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

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

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

International law organization participation

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

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, 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, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

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)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament consists of:Senate (Majlis Al-Shiyoukh) (300 seats; 100 members elected in single seat constituencies, 100 elected by closed party-list system, and 100 appointed by the president; note - the upper house, previously the Shura Council, was eliminated in the 2014 constitution, reestablished as the Senate, following passage in a 2019 constitutional referendum and approved by the House of Representatives in June 2020 House of Representatives (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 260, women 40, percent of women 13.3%  House of Representatives (2020) - 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%; note - total Parliament percent of women 22.8%

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)

National anthem

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

National heritage

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)

National holiday

Revolution Day, 23 July (1952)

National symbol(s)

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

Political parties and leaders

Al-Nour [Yunis MAKHYUN]Arab Democratic Nasserist Party [El Etehad el Masri el ARABI]Congress Party [Omar Al-Mokhtar SEMIDA]Conservative Party [El Mohafezin]Democratic Peace Party [Ahmed FADALY]Egyptian National Movement Party [Gen. Raouf EL SAYED]Egyptian Social Democratic Party [Farid ZAHRAN]El Ghad Party [Moussa Mostafa MOUSSA]El Serh El Masry el Hor [Tarek Ahmed Abbas NADIM]Eradet Geel Party [Tayseer MATAR]Free Egyptians Party [Essam KHALIL]Freedom Party [Mamdouuh HASSAN]Justice PartyHomeland’s Protector Party [Lt. Gen. (retired) Galal AL-HARIDI]Modern Egypt Party [Nabil DEIBIS]My Homeland Egypt Party [Gen. Seif El Islam ABDEL BARY ]Nation's Future Party (Mostaqbal Watan) [Abdel Wahab Abdel RAZEQ]National Progressive Unionist (Tagammu) Party [Sayed Abdel AAL]Reform and Development Party [Mohamad Anwar al-SADAT]Republican People’s Party [Hazim AMR]Revolutionary Guards Party [Magdy EL-SHARIF]Wafd Party [Abdel Sanad YAMAMA]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agricultural products

sugar cane, sugar beets, wheat, maize, tomatoes, rice, potatoes, oranges, onions, milk

Budget

expenditures

62.61 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

42.32 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-8.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

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

Current account balance 2018

-$7.682 billion (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

-$8.915 billion (2019 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$92.638 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$109.238 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

Occupying the northeast corner of the African continent, Egypt is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley where most economic activity takes place. Egypt's economy was highly centralized during the rule of former President Gamal Abdel NASSER but opened up considerably under former Presidents Anwar EL-SADAT and Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK. Agriculture, hydrocarbons, manufacturing, tourism, and other service sectors drove the country’s relatively diverse economic activity.   Despite Egypt’s mixed record for attracting foreign investment over the past two decades, poor living conditions and limited job opportunities have contributed to public discontent. These socioeconomic pressures were a major factor leading to the January 2011 revolution that ousted MUBARAK. The uncertain political, security, and policy environment since 2011 has restricted economic growth and failed to alleviate persistent unemployment, especially among the young.   In late 2016, persistent dollar shortages and waning aid from its Gulf allies led Cairo to turn to the IMF for a 3-year, $12 billion loan program. To secure the deal, Cairo floated its currency, introduced new taxes, and cut energy subsidies - all of which pushed inflation above 30% for most of 2017, a high that had not been seen in a generation. Since the currency float, foreign investment in Egypt’s high interest treasury bills has risen exponentially, boosting both dollar availability and central bank reserves. Cairo will be challenged to obtain foreign and local investment in manufacturing and other sectors without a sustained effort to implement a range of business reforms.

Exchange rates

Currency

Egyptian pounds (EGP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

7.08 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

7.7133 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

17.90999 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

16.14 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

15.69 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$51.62 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2019

$53.52 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$40.1 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, natural gas, fertilizers (2019)

Exports - partners

United States 9%, United Arab Emirates 6%, Italy 6%, Turkey 6%, Saudi Arabia 6%, India 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

16.3% (2017 est.)

government consumption

10.1% (2017 est.)

household consumption

86.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-28.5% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

14.8% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.5% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

11.7% (2017 est.)

industry

34.3% (2017 est.)

services

54% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$323.763 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2012

29.8 (2012)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

31.5 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.6% (2008)

lowest 10%

4%

Imports

Imports 2018

$76.33 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2019

$78.95 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$72.48 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, wheat, crude petroleum, cars, packaged medicines (2019)

Imports - partners

China 15%, Russia 7%, United States 6%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Germany 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

3.5% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

29.6% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

14.4% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

9.3% (2019 est.)

Labor force

24.113 million (2020 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

25.8%

industry

25.1%

services

49.1% (2015 est.)

Population below poverty line

32.5% (2017 est.)

Public debt

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 2016

96.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

103% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$1,118,720,000,000 (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$1,180,890,000,000 (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$1,223,040,000,000 (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

4.4% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

4.3% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

4.2% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$11,400 (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$11,800 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$12,000 (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$23.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$35.89 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

17.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2016

12.7% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2019

7.86% (2019 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

43.5% (2020 est.)

male

12.5%

total

17.3%

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

8.728 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

114.128 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

112.281 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

235.137 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

2.31 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

86,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

2.134 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

262,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

16 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

149,079,120,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

360 million kWh (2019 est.)

imports

74 million kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

59.826 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

33.623 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

88.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

7.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

2.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

40.063 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

58,176,781,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

5,009,100,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

imports

83.563 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

64,292,955,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

1,783,958,000,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

204,100 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

117,400 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

3.3 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

810,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

660,800 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

47,360 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

280,200 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

547,500 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

9 (2020 est.)

total

9,349,469 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

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)

Communications - note

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

Internet country code

.eg

Internet users

percent of population

72% (2020 est.)

total

73,680,770 (2020 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line roughly 10 per 100, mobile-cellular 93 per 100 (2020)

general assessment

Egypt’s large telecom market is supported by a population of about 108 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)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

9,858,331 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

93 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

95,357,427 (2020 est.)

Airports

total

83 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

15

2,438 to 3,047 m

36

over 3,047 m

15

total

72

under 914 m

6 (2021)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

4

total

11

under 914 m

3 (2021)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

SU

Heliports

7 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 14, container ship 8, general cargo 27, oil tanker 40, other 332 (2021)

total

421

National air transport system

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)

Pipelines

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)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Port Said (East) (3,816,084) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (export)

Damietta, Idku (Abu Qir Bay), Sumed

major seaport(s)

Mediterranean Sea - Alexandria, Damietta, El Dekheila, Port Said

note

Gulf of Suez - Suez

oil terminal(s)

Ain Sukhna terminal, Sidi Kerir terminal

Railways

standard gauge

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

total

5,085 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

48,000 km (2018)

total

65,050 km (2018)

unpaved

17,050 km (2018)

Waterways

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)

Military - note

since 2011, the Egyptian Armed Forces, police, and other security forces have been actively engaged in counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism operations in the North Sinai governorate against several militant groups, particularly the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – Sinai Province; as of 2022, Egypt had tens of thousands of military troops, police, and other security personnel deployed in the Sinai for internal security duties; in addition, tribal militias were assisting Egyptian security forcesthe military 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 housing; the various enterprises are reportedly profitable enough to make the armed forces largely self-fundedEgypt has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US; MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; while MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitmentsthe 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; as of 2022, it was composed of about 1,150 troops from 13 countries; Colombia, Fiji, and the US were the leading providers of troops to the MFO (2022)

Military and security forces

Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF): Army (includes Republican Guard), Navy (includes Coast Guard), Air Force, Air Defense Command, Border Guard Forces; Interior Ministry: Public Security Sector Police, the Central Security Force, National Security Sector (2022)

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 Sector 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”

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 450,000 active duty personnel (325,000 Army; 18,000 Navy; 30,000 Air Force; 75,000 Air Defense Command); approximately 300,000 Central Security Forces personnel (2022)

Military deployments

1,000 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,075 Mali (MINUSMA) (May 2022)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the EAF's inventory is comprised of a mix of domestically produced, imported Soviet-era, and more modern, particularly Western, weapons systems; in recent years, the EAF has embarked on an extensive equipment modernization program with major purchases from a variety of suppliers; since 2010, the leading suppliers of military hardware to Egypt have been France, 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 the US (2022)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2017

1.6% of GDP (2017) (approximately $16.7 billion)

Military Expenditures 2018

1.4% of GDP (2018) (approximately $15.9 billion)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.3% of GDP (2019) (approximately $15.8 billion)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.3% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.3% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military service age and obligation

voluntary enlistment possible from age 16 for men and 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 (2022)

note

note: as of 2020, conscripts were estimated to comprise over half of the military, as well as a considerable portion of the Central Security Force

Disputes - international

Sudan claims but Egypt de facto administers security and economic development of Halaib region north of the 22nd parallel boundary; Egypt no longer shows its administration of the Bir Tawil trapezoid in Sudan on its maps; Gazan breaches in the security wall with Egypt in January 2008 highlight difficulties in monitoring the Sinai border

Illicit drugs

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

70,022 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (mid-year 2021); 144,683 (Syria), 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)

stateless persons

7 (mid-year 2021)

Terrorist group(s)

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 Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

238.56 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

59.68 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

79.28 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

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

Land use

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.)

Major aquifers

Nubian Aquifer System

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s)

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

Major rivers (by length in km)

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

Major watersheds (area sq km)

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

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.15% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

57.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

61.35 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

5.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

10.75 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

43.1% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

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.)