Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
Egypt - Statistics & Facts
Egypt is home to one of the oldest civilizations in the world, which has been flourishing along the fertile banks of the river Nile since 3100 BC. Although generally considered to belong to the African continent, Egypt lies on the African-Asian border. It is the third most populous country in Africa, with a constantly growing population. The fertility rate has been dropping since 2015, stabilizing at 2.75 children per women between 2021 and 2023. Most Egyptians live in cities around the Nile River and the coastline, with the biggest cities and metropolises, being Cairo and Alexandria. This is due to the majority of the remaining land area belonging to the arid regions of the Sahara desert.
Egypt was part of the Ottoman empire, and then under British rule till it was declared a Republic in 1953. Egypt is a founding member of the United Nations and the Non Aligned-Movement, formed in the times of the Cold War. In 2011, following the start of the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Tahrir Square in Cairo witnessed massive protests against the president, Hosni Mubarak, which eventually led to his resignation. The protests were followed by three years of political instability, which affected tourism and foreign investment, both of which play a big role in Egypt’s economy. The political turmoil caused the real GDP to drop in 2011 to the second lowest growth rates since 1980. In years following 2011, the country has seen an increasing growth rates up to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Following 2013, the unemployment rate in the country also generally dropped yearly except in the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the inflation rate, increased to 2017 before easing and dropping yearly until 2021 then increasing reaching its highest levels in 2024 in the last three decades as a result of several currency devaluations among other factors. National debt, which takes a major chunk of the country’s GDP, is predicted to reduce gradually starting 2024.
Egypt has experienced major trade deficits in the past decade. China and Saudi Arabia are the country’s most important trade partners; the country mainly exports petroleum and crude oil. In spite of the limitations in arable land, Egypt has managed to reclaim agricultural land and thereby increase its agricultural crop production in the last decade. However, the share of people employed in agriculture has been dropping in the last decade dropping to less than a fifth Egypt’s workforce.
Egypt was part of the Ottoman empire, and then under British rule till it was declared a Republic in 1953. Egypt is a founding member of the United Nations and the Non Aligned-Movement, formed in the times of the Cold War. In 2011, following the start of the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Tahrir Square in Cairo witnessed massive protests against the president, Hosni Mubarak, which eventually led to his resignation. The protests were followed by three years of political instability, which affected tourism and foreign investment, both of which play a big role in Egypt’s economy. The political turmoil caused the real GDP to drop in 2011 to the second lowest growth rates since 1980. In years following 2011, the country has seen an increasing growth rates up to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Following 2013, the unemployment rate in the country also generally dropped yearly except in the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the inflation rate, increased to 2017 before easing and dropping yearly until 2021 then increasing reaching its highest levels in 2024 in the last three decades as a result of several currency devaluations among other factors. National debt, which takes a major chunk of the country’s GDP, is predicted to reduce gradually starting 2024.
Egypt has experienced major trade deficits in the past decade. China and Saudi Arabia are the country’s most important trade partners; the country mainly exports petroleum and crude oil. In spite of the limitations in arable land, Egypt has managed to reclaim agricultural land and thereby increase its agricultural crop production in the last decade. However, the share of people employed in agriculture has been dropping in the last decade dropping to less than a fifth Egypt’s workforce.
