Egypt ranks fourteenth globally in terms of population size, ranking as the largest among Arab nations and the third-largest among African countries, after Nigeria and Ethiopia. Egypt’s population constitutes approximately 1.3% of the world’s population. The population growth rate increased from 2.05% between the 1996 and 2006 censuses to 2.56% between the 2006 and 2017 censuses, surpassing the annual growth rate of the global population and many developing nations1.

According to the United Nations estimates, the world’s population increased at an average annual rate of 1.23% from 2000 to 2010. India, the second most populous country, experienced a yearly growth rate of 1.64% during the same period, while China, the most populous country, had an annual growth rate of 0.5% from 2000 to 20102.

Egypt’s population grew by about 24.7 million people (roughly 30% increase) from 2010 to early 2023. This illustrates the scale of population growth during this period and its impact on health, the economy, and other areas. Additionally, there is an imbalance between population growth and economic growth in Egypt3.

Numerous research studies have emphasized that economic growth should be three times the rate of population growth to create enough jobs for the new generation. This means that Egypt’s population growth rate, which was 2.56% between 2006 and 2017, requires an economic growth rate exceeding 7.5% annually for citizens to truly benefit from development [1].

The demographic trends in Egypt over the past few decades have shown significant progress. There has been a notable improvement in healthcare, evidenced by lower mortality rates and higher life expectancy at birth. Since the 1960s, Egypt has experienced a substantial decline in death rates. The crude death rate fell from 16.9 per 1000 people in 1960 to 7.3 in 2021, and infant and child mortality rates have also decreased rapidly4.

The infant mortality rate dropped from 141 per 1,000 live births during 1965–1969 to 25 per 1,000 live births in 2017–2021; additionally, under-five child mortality decreased from 243 per 1,000 live births to 28 per 1,000 live births in 20215. The maternal mortality rates also dropped from 174 deaths per 100,000 live births during 1992–1993 to 49 deaths in 2021. Due to these improvements in death rates, life expectancy in Egypt reached 74.1 years for females and 69.7 years for males in 20226.

The fertility rates have also declined, with the number of births dropping from 2.7 million in 2014 to 2.183 million in 2022; the total fertility rate decreased from 3.5 children per woman in 2014 to 2.85 in 2021, and further to 2.76 in 2022; family planning coverage increased to 66.4% in 2021, up from about 58.5% in the 2014 survey; if current fertility rates of 2.76 children per woman continue, Egypt’s population is projected to reach 117 million by 2030 and 157 million by 20507.

Egypt experienced a significant drop in birth rates over the past years, from 30.3 live births per 1000 people in 2013 to 21.1 in 2022. Despite this decline, the current birth rates, which exceed two million births annually, still present a major challenge across various economic, social, environmental, and health sectors8.

The number of migrants from Egypt was estimated at around 1.4 million according to the 1976 population census, representing 3.6% of the total population; the 2006 census reported that international migration from Egypt had reached 3.9 million migrants, making up 5.4% of the population; by the 2017 census, there was a significant increase in the number of migrants abroad, reaching 9.5 million, which accounts for 10% of the population; estimates indicate that the highest migration flows from Egypt are directed to the Gulf countries compared to other Arab nationalities; however, Egyptian labor in the Gulf countries faces fierce competition in the job market with the Asian labor, and these countries are also tending to replace foreign labor with domestic workforce9.

Egypt has also become an attractive destination for certain nationalities. According to a report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of residents in Egypt has reached 9 million migrants and refugees, equivalent to 8.7% of the Egyptianpopulation10.

Most Egyptian migrants are concentrated in Arab countries, where their number reached 7 million in 2017, making up 68.4% of all Egyptian expatriates. However, due to current issues in Arab nations caused by security instability in Libya, Iraq, and the war in Yemen, along with falling global oil prices, the number of Egyptians abroad has dropped to 4.9 million, representing 54.6% of the total Egyptian expatriates11 [2].

Both the dependency ratio for the young (the population under 15 years old divided by the population aged 15–64) and the dependency ratio for the elderly (the population 65 years and older divided by the population aged 15–64) have increased from about 51 and 6%, respectively, in 2011 to 55 and 8% in 2021, the overall dependency ratio (the combined population under 15 years old and 65 years and older divided by the population aged 15–64) rose to approximately 61.6% by 2022. This increase is due to higher birth rates and a growing elderly population caused by longer average lifespans; to fully benefit from the demographic dividend, the dependency rate needs to decrease, which can be achieved by lowering overall birth rates12.

Egypt has a large youth population that tapers at the top, as of July 1, 2021, approximately 34.3% of the population is under 15 years old, and youth aged 15 to 29 make up 25% of the total population, offering Egypt an opportunity to benefit from the potential demographic dividend. The percentage of people aged 60 and over increased from 6.9% in 2011 to 8.2% in 2021, and this group is expected to grow to 10.6% by 2030 (Fig. 1). This shift indicates changes in the population structure, which can lead to various health and social challenges. The rise in the percentage of those over sixty means greater health and social needs for this group, resulting in higher healthcare and pension costs. This, in turn, requires additional investments in health infrastructure13. 

As of 2025, Egypt’s Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) announced that the Egyptian population had exceeded 107 million14, and was classified by the World Bank as a lower-middle-income country with a Gross National Income per Capita reaching $3,000 in 2020. Although the country has experienced economic growth, especially in the manufacturing sector, it still faces challenges such as high public debt, sluggish exports, and the impact of regional conflicts and political unrest15. These factors were augmented by the population growth and negatively influence healthcare delivery, infrastructure setup, and future planning, leading to significant challenges such as:

According to Article 41 of the Egyptian Constitution, which states that the government is committed to implementing a population program aimed at balancing population growth with available resources, maximizing investment in human development, and improving people’s characteristics within the framework of sustainable development, and in light of emerging and ongoing demographic changes and shifts, despite these challenges related to population growth, the Egyptian government has taken several actions to curb the rise in birth rates and has implemented measures to lessen the impact of population growth on different sectors, particularly the health sector, through various initiatives.

In 2022, the government established the National Project for Development of Egyptian Family (NPDEF), as a comprehensive development initiative that extends beyond family planning and healthcare. It covers five areas, including promoting the economic independence of women. Furthermore, the NPDEF’s efforts align with Article 41 of Egypt’s 2014 constitution, which mandates the implementation of a population program aimed at balancing demographic growth with available resources and maximizing investments in human resources23.

In July 2024, the Egyptian Prime Minister appointed the Minister of Health and Population as his deputy for human development for the first time ever. This decision truly demonstrates the national commitment to human capital. The government announced the launch of the national project for human development under the slogan “Bedaya” or “A New Beginning for Human Development.” The goal of that ambitious Presidential Initiative is to create a pathway for the Egyptian people toward self-development, health, education, sports, culture, and behavior, in order to nurture a healthy, educated, empowered, capable, aware, cultured, and ethical citizen for society. The project supports Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the United Nations (UN) SDGs by addressing poverty, gender equality, and economic growth, it complements initiatives like Haya Karima, which target rural development and financial inclusion, especially for women-led businesses; the WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, praised Bedaya for its comprehensive vision, especially its focus on cross-sectoral collaboration and women/youth empowerment29.

The exerted national efforts during the past decade have led to significant changes in several indicators, which are paving the way toward a better containment of population growth in line with the improvement of people’s social and health characteristics. The total fertility rate in 2021 was 2.85 births per woman, and it declined to 2.1 births per woman in 2023 (Fig. 2). Meanwhile, the usage of family planning methods increased from 66.4 percent in 2021 to 75 percent in 2023, the illiteracy rate among people aged 10 and above decreased from 25.8 percent in 2021 to 12.6 percent in 2023, educational enrollment rose from 94 percent in 2021 to 98 percent in 2023, the youth unemployment rate dropped from 16.5 percent in 2021 to 12 percent in 2023, the percentage of children in the labor market declined from 4.9 percent in 2021 to 2 percent in 2023, the percentage of child marriages decreased from 15.8 percent in 2021 to 8 percent in 202330. 

Despite the challenges posed by population growth and its impact on health, which hinder progress in improving access to high-quality health services, impede the expansion of the UHC program, and significantly affect morbidity and mortality rates in Egypt, national efforts succeeded in mitigating these effects and made significant advancements in many health indicators. The national health strategy 2024–2030 has set several ambitious targets, including increasing life expectancy to 75 years by 2030 and reducing maternal mortality, neonatal mortality, and mortality rates below five years old. Achieving those targets will complement the national goal to reduce the fertility rate to 1.6 births per woman by 2030, aligned with increasing the human development index to be among the top 30 countries by 2030. Achieving these targets requires extensive parallel work on the subnational levels to strengthen the role of governorates in implementing population strategies and human development plans, mobilize religious and community leaders to support behavioral change and positive social transformation related to population and development, increase access to all health services, especially reproductive health services for girls and adolescents, particularly in underserved areas. 

1.UNFPA Egypt. The National Strategy for Population and Development. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://egypt.unfpa.org/en/publications/national-strategy-population-and-development 2. UNFPA Egypt. Population Situation Analysis Egypt 2016 Report. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://egypt.unfpa.org/en/publications/population-situation-analysis-egypt-2016-report 3. UNFPA Egypt. The National Strategy for Population and Development. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://egypt.unfpa.org/en/publications/national-strategy-population-and-development 4. The DHS Program – Egypt DHS 2014 – 25 Government Fact Sheets. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://dhsprogram.com/publications/publication-OF30-Other-Fact-Sheets.cfm?cssearch=1818059_1 5. Egypt Family Health Survey EFHS 2021. (In Arabic). Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.capmas.gov.eg/Pages/Publications.aspx?page_id=5109&Year=23639 6. The World Health Organization. Health data overview for the Arab Republic of Egypt. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://data.who.int/countries/818 7. UNFPA Egypt. Trends of Fertility Levels in Egypt in Recent Years. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://egypt.unfpa.org/en/publications/trends-fertility-levels-egypt-recent-years 8. UNFPA Egypt. The National Strategy for Population and Development. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://egypt.unfpa.org/en/publications/national-strategy-population-and-development 9. Ibid. 10. IOM Egypt estimates the current number of international migrants. IOM Egypt. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://egypt.iom.int/news/iom-egypt-estimates-current-number-international-migrants-living-egypt-9-million-people-originating-133-countries 11. UNFPA Egypt. The National Strategy for Population and Development. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://egypt.unfpa.org/en/publications/national-strategy-population-and-development 12. UNFPA Egypt. Egypt’s Demographic Opportunity (Preliminary Assessment based on 2017 Census). Accessed 23.06.2025. https://egypt.unfpa.org/en/publications/egypts-demographic-opportunity-preliminary-assessment-based-2017-census 13. UNFPA Egypt. Building a Future Powered by Egypt’s People: Navigating the Demographic Trends. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://egypt.unfpa.org/en/publications/building-future-powered-egypts-people-navigating-demographic-trends 14. CAPMAS. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.capmas.gov.eg/ 15. World Bank. Egypt Overview: Development news, research, data. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/egypt/overview 16. Egypt National Health Accounts establishing an expenditure baseline to support Egypt’s health care reform 2019/2020. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/375668 Egypt National Health Strategy 2024-2030. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.100millionseha.eg/ 17. Egypt National Health Strategy 2024-2030. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.100millionseha.eg/ 18. Egypt National Health Strategy 2024-2030. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.100millionseha.eg/ WHO. Egypt Steps Survey 2017. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/ncds/ncd-surveillance/data-reporting/egpyt/steps/egypt-steps-survey-2017-facts-and-figures.pdf?sfvrsn=f4dd4788_2 19. Programme of Action. Adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 5–13 September 1994. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/event-pdf/PoA_en.pdf 20. Global Congress on Population, Health and Human Development (PHDC 2023). Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.globalphdc.com/ 21. UNFPA Egypt. The National Strategy for Population and Development. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://egypt.unfpa.org/en/publications/national-strategy-population-and-development 22. Egypt National Health Strategy 2024-2030. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.100millionseha.eg/ 23. National Project for Development of the Egyptian Family-SIS. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.sis.gov.eg/Story/164868/National-Project-for-Development-of-the-Egyptian-Family?lang=en-us 24. Egypt National Health Strategy 2024-2030. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.100millionseha.eg/ 25. WHO EMRO. Egypt becomes the first country in the Region to achieve hepatitis B control status. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.emro.who.int/egy/egypt-news/egypt-becomes-the-first-country-in-the-region-to-achieve-hepatitis-b-control-status.html 26. Egypt is certified malaria-free by WHO. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.who.int/news/item/20-10-2024-egypt-is-certified-malaria-free-by-who 27. Egypt National Health Strategy 2024-2030. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.100millionseha.eg/ 28. Egypt National Health Strategy 2024-2030. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.100millionseha.eg/ Egypt to launch “1000 Golden Days” initiative to develop Egyptian family-SIS. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://sis.gov.eg/Story/183913/Egypt-to-launch-’1000-Golden-Days’-initiative-to-develop-Egyptian-family?lang=en-us 29. Home – Bedaya. (In Arabic). Accessed 23.06.2025. https://bedayaforegypt.org/WHO Director commends President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for leading Egypt’s national development through “Bedaya”. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://www.zawya.com/en/press-release/companies-news/who-director-commends-president-abdel-fattah-el-sisi-for-leading-egypts-national-development-through-bedaya-lxlk4oot 30. Egypt launches national strategy to curb overpopulation-SIS. Accessed 23.06.2025. https://sis.gov.eg/Story/185585/Egypt-launches-national-strategy-to-curb-overpopulation?lang=