Egypt
Top Sights & Landmarks
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 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.
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
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
2,450 km
Geography - 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
Irrigated land
36,500 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
Major aquifers
Nubian Aquifer System
Major lakes (area sq km)
salt water lake(s): Lake Manzala - 1,360 sq km note - largest of Nile Delta lakes
Major rivers (by length in km)
An Nīl (Nile) river mouth (shared with Rwanda [s], Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, and Sudan) - 6,650 km note: [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)
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or the equidistant median line with Cyprus continental shelf: 200 nm
Natural hazards
periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorms called khamsin occur in spring; dust storms; sandstorms
Natural resources
Terrain
vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
3.7% (2021 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
65.6% (2021 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 63.7 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 54.2 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 9.5 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 10.5 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
3.9% of GDP (2015 est.) 12% national budget (2015 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
1.23 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
4.6% of GDP (2021) 7.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
1.1 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 17.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Literacy
total population: 79.5% (2022 est.) male: 85.3% (2022 est.) female: 73.3% (2022 est.)
Major urban areas - population
22.183 million CAIRO (capital), 5.588 million Alexandria, 778,000 Bur Sa'id (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
17 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
22.6 years (2014 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
Nationality
noun: Egyptian(s) adjective: Egyptian
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
32% (2016)
Physician density
0.67 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Population distribution
approximately 95% of the population lives within 20 km (12 mi) of the Nile River and its delta; vast areas of the country remain sparsely populated or uninhabited, as shown in this population distribution map
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 13 years (2023 est.) male: 13 years (2023 est.) female: 13 years (2023 est.)
Sex ratio
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 (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 25.8% (2025 est.) male: 51% (2025 est.) female: 0.3% (2025 est.)
Climate & Issues
desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
International environmental agreements
Urbanization
urban population: 43.1% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.9% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 21 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 26.6% (2022 est.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; centered in the white band is the national emblem, a gold Eagle of Saladin; it faces the left side, with a shield on its chest, above a scroll with the country's name in Arabic
Detailed Government Information
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
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
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 amendment process: 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"
Country name
conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt conventional short form: Egypt local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah local short form: Misr former: United Arab Republic (short-lived unification with Syria) etymology: the English name Egypt derives from the ancient Greek name for the country, "Aguptos," and the ancient Roman name, "Aegyptus," with the Greek form coming from the words aia gupos, or "land of the vulture;" the Arabic name for the country, Misr, can be traced to the Assyrian word misir, meaning "fort"
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation
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 system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws; Supreme Constitutional Court reviews laws
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 7 (6 cultural, 1 natural) 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)
Political parties
Al-Nour Arab Democratic Nasserist Party Congress Party Conservative Party Democratic Peace Party Egyptian National Movement Party Egyptian Social Democratic Party El Ghad Party El Serh El Masry el Hor Eradet Geel Party Free Egyptians Party Freedom Party Justice Party Homeland’s Protector Party Modern Egypt Party My Homeland Egypt Party Nation's Future Party (Mostaqbal Watan) National Progressive Unionist (Tagammu) Party Reform and Development Party Republican People’s Party Revolutionary Guards Party Wafd Party
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Economic Overview
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
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Import Profile
Top Import Partners
Major Import Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Family Income / Consumption Share
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
-$12.564 billion (2023 est.) -$10.537 billion (2022 est.) -$18.611 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external
$117.272 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
Egyptian pounds (EGP) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 45.299 (2024 est.) 30.626 (2023 est.) 19.16 (2022 est.) 15.645 (2021 est.) 15.759 (2020 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
-1.9% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
28.3% (2024 est.) 33.9% (2023 est.) 13.9% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Public debt
103% of GDP (2017 est.) 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
Remittances
4.9% of GDP (2023 est.) 5.9% of GDP (2022 est.) 7.4% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$44.921 billion (2024 est.) $33.07 billion (2023 est.) $32.144 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
12.5% (of GDP) (2015 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Railways
Ports & Harbors
Merchant Marine
Military Expenditures
Active Duty Strengths
estimated 450,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
Service & Defense Details
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 (2025) note: 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 services
775 (plus nearly 200 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,100 Somalia (AUSSOM); also has about 200 police deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo under MONUSCO (2025)
the EAF's inventory is comprised of a mix of domestically produced, Soviet-era, and more modern, typically Western, weapons systems; in recent years, the EAF has embarked on an equipment modernization program with purchases from foreign suppliers, including China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, UAE, the UK, and the US; Egypt's defense industry 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 (2025)
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 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 role in Egypt’s politics and has a 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 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 additional units along the 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, as well as the establishment of a joint service military base on the Red Sea the 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 has about 1,150 troops from 13 countries; Colombia, Fiji, and the US are the leading providers of troops to the MFO (2025)
voluntary enlistment possible from age 16 for men and 17 for women; 18-30 years of age for compulsory 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 (2025)
Space Agency
Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA; established 2019); National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Science (NARSS; formed in 1994 from the Remote Sensing Center, which was established in 1971) (2025)