Egypt: population growth declines to 1.4%

In Egypt, population growth is at half-mast. In 2023, it slowed to 1.4%, its lowest rate in decades, according to figures by the Ministry of Planning data published on Thursday.

Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world, with 106 million inhabitants, according to the official Egyptian statistics agency.

The fall in population is good news for the government. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had already warned of the burden of the birth rate on public finances and government services.

At a time when 60% of the population lives at or near the poverty line. Not only that, but the country also faces an infrastructure deficit in terms of schools and hospitals, among other things. And it is crumbling under the weight of a growing debt.

To curb the demographic push, the authorities launched the 2019 campaign, "Deux, c'est assez" (Two is enough).