People and Society of Egypt

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.

Nationality

noun: Egyptian(s) adjective: Egyptian

Ethnic Groups

Egyptian 99.7%, other 0.3%

Population

80,471,869

Population (Male / Female)

male: 57,142,484 female: 54,104,764

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

Urban Population

urban population: 43.1% of total population rate of urbanization: 1.9% annual rate of change

Population in Major Urban Areas

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

Age Structure

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% (male 3,146,720/female 3,069,042)

Median Age

total: 24.4 years male: 24.3 years female: 24.4 years

Sex Ratio at Birth

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 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 total population: 1.06 male(s)/female

Medical care in Egypt falls short of U.S. standards. The U.S. Embassy in Cairo can provide a list of local hospitals and English-speaking physicians. Emergency and intensive care facilities are limited. Most Nile cruise boats do not have a ship's doctor, but some employ a medical practitioner of uncertain qualification. Hospital facilities in Luxor and Aswan are inadequate, and they are nonexistent at most other ports-of-call. The Egyptian ambulance service hotline is 123, but Egyptian ambulance service is not reliable. Beaches on the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts are generally unpolluted. However, persons who swim in the Nile or its canals, walk barefoot in stagnant water, or drink untreated water are at risk of exposure to bacterial and other infections and the parasitic disease schistosomiasis (bilharzia). It is generally safe to eat freshly prepared cooked food in hotels, on Nile cruise boats, and in mainstream restaurants. When selecting a restaurant, select a clean and reputable place,eat only freshly prepared, cooked foods, avoid all uncooked food including raw fruits and vegetables. Tap water in many locations is not potable. It is best to drink bottled water or water that has been boiled and filtered. Well-known brands of bottled beverages are generally considered to be safe if the seal is intact.

Life Expectancy at Birth

total population: 75 years male: 73.8 years female: 76.2 years

Infant Mortality Rate

total: 16.8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 17.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Major Infectious Diseases

degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 99.7% of population rural: 99.7% of population total: 99.7% of population unimproved: urban: 0.3% of population rural: 0.3% of population total: 0.3% of population

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 99.9% of population rural: 98.2% of population total: 98.9% of population unimproved: urban: 0.1% of population rural: 1.8% of population total: 1.1% of population

Tobacco Use

total: 24.3% male: 48.1% female: 0.4%

Alcohol Consumption

total: 0.14 liters of pure alcohol beer: 0.09 liters of pure alcohol wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol spirits: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol

Literacy Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Total School Life Expectancy

total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years

Classroom

In Egypt there are classic old school buildings with very high ceilings and spacious classrooms, most of these buildings used to be historical buildings occupied by royalties or government officials. There are also modern school buildings, but public schools tend to occupy older buildings than those of private schools. The majority of public schools do not have computer labs and audiovisual equipment. They are also crowded with minimal playing space for children. The teacher-student ratio is very high, which often results in some of the kids not getting the necessary care and sometimes becoming left out. However, a developmental plan is being executed all over the country in an effort to create the necessary facilities needed for better education. This applies to existing schools as well as newer ones being erected. This developmental plan will also include the rehabilitation of existing school staff by implementing proficiency exams and training sessions to improve their teaching skills as well as the level of teacher-student interaction. Private schools have all the resources they need, from computer labs, Internet, audiovisual equipment, and vast playgrounds. Some private schools even have basketball and tennis courts, soccer fields, and swimming pools. They also maintain a reasonable teacher-to-student ratio.

Learning

Schools usually start between 7:30 and 8:30 am and finish between 2:30 and 3:30 pm. Students usually have one to two breaks to have light snacks. They do not have lunch at school and have it at home instead. Public school students are taught their curriculum entirely in Arabic and start learning English as a second language starting from 3rd grade. Students are taught different subjects such as math, science, history, and geography, but they do not move between classrooms to take the different subjects; they stay in the same classroom throughout all the periods. Public school students have two options for secondary education: either to take the Egyptian Baccalaureate to get qualified to go to college or take a sort of community college diploma where students learn handymen jobs. The majority take the Egyptian Baccalaureate to qualify for university as undergraduate and graduate studies are becoming essential to succeed in establishing a career in modern-day Egypt. Egyptian private school students have a wide range of global secondary education syllabuses to choose from as well as the Egyptian Baccalaureate for secondary education. In this case, students are either taught their curriculum entirely in English and take French or German as a second language or they could opt to be taught entirely in French or German and take English as a second language. American Diploma, International Baccalaureate, French Baccalaureate, German Baccalaureate, and the British IGCSE are many of the other high school certificates students can opt for.

To School

Lower-class and lower-middle-class children attend public schools because they do not require paying any tuition fees. Public schools in Egypt do not have any school buses; so students walk to school, ride a bike, or use public transportation such as metros and buses. Children who live in the countryside are most likely to go to public schools as well. Children from higher classes of income usually attend private schools. They take the school bus or use other means of private transportation to go there. Both public and private school students are required to wear uniforms.

• Muslim94.0%
• Coptic Christian6.0%

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

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

• Arabic

• Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat

  Nobel Prize for Nobel Prize for Peace, 1978 Peace, 1978

• Nefertiti

• Cleopatra

• Rameses

• Osiris

• Tutankhamun

• Moses

• Boutros Boutros-Ghali

• Hero of Alexandria (c. 10–70 AD)

Crime Information

Following the Revolution in January 2011, the incidence of crime, including attacks on foreigners, increased throughout the country. Travelers should apply common sense personal security measures when moving about, particularly in urban areas after dark, to avoid becoming a victim. While the majority of incidents reported are crimes of opportunity, such as purse snatching and theft, there is growing and serious concern of incidents that involve weapons, including car-jackings. There have been multiple reports of men on motorcycles or in cars grabbing purses or other valuables in drive-by assaults. U.S. citizens are advised to carry mobile phones in pockets rather than on belts or in purses. Avoid wearing headphones, which make the wearer more vulnerable and readily advertise the presence of a valuable item. Limit or avoid display of jewelry as it attracts attention and could prompt a robbery attempt. Limit cash and credit cards carried on your person. Be sure to store valuables, wallet items, and passports in a safe place. Travelers are strongly cautioned not to leave valuables such as cash, jewelry, and electronic items unsecured in hotel rooms or unattended in public places. Women are vulnerable to sexual harassment and verbal abuse; the Embassy has received numerous reports of foreigners being groped in taxis and while in public places. Travelers are cautioned to be aware of their surroundings and to be cautious going anywhere with a stranger alone.

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Egypt, you are subject to its laws. The Egyptian legal system is different from the legal system in the United States. If you break Egyptian laws, your U.S. passport will not prevent arrest or prosecution. Punishments often are harsher in Egypt for comparable crimes than they are in the United States. You may be detained and taken in for questioning if you do not have proper identification, such as a passport. Although the enforcement of traffic laws generally is lax, foreigners are subject to extra scrutiny and driving under the influence could result in arrest or detainment. Be aware that you can also be prosecuted for violating U.S. laws while in Egypt. Do not purchase counterfeit or pirated goods, such as DVDs. They are illegal in Egypt and in the United States. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. While some countries routinely notify the U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested, others do not. If you are arrested or detained in Egypt, you should immediately ask authorities to notify the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.