Factbook dossier
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 f…
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
total : 1,001,450 sq km land: 995,450 sq km water: 6,000 sq km
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc
Natural hazards
periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorms called khamsin occur in spring; dust storms; sandstorms
Population
total: 112,870,457 (2025 est.) male: 57,960,635 female: 54,909,822
Ethnic groups
Egyptian 99.7%, other 0.3% (2006 est.) note: data represent respondents by nationality
Languages
Arabic (official); English and French widely understood by educated classes major-language sample(s): كتاب حقائق العالم، أفضل مصدر للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 90%, Christian (majority Coptic Orthodox, other Christians include Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, Maronite, Orthodox, and Anglican) 10%
Environmental issues
rapid growth in population straining natural resources; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution in coastal ecosystems; water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Nile
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Cairo geographic coordinates: 30 03 N, 31 15 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in April; ends last Friday in October etymology: the ancient Egyptian name of the original city was Khere-ohe or Kheri-aha; the modern city's name may also derive from the Arabic al-qahir , meaning "the victorious;" this is an Arabic name for the planet Mars, which was in the ascendant on the day in 969 A.D. when construction on the new part of the city began
Executive branch
chief of state: President Abdel Fattah EL-SISI (since 8 June 2014) head of government: Prime Minister Mostafa MADBOULY (since 7 June 2018) cabinet: Cabinet ministers nominated by the executive branch and approved by the House of Representatives election/appointment process: president elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 6-year term (eligible for 3 consecutive terms); prime minister appointed by the president, approved by the House of Representatives most recent election date: 10-12 December 2023 election results: 2023: Abdel Fattah EL-SISI reelected president in first round; percent of valid votes cast - Abdel Fattah EL-SISI (independent) 89.6%, Hazam OMAR (Republican People s Party) 4.5%, Farid ZAHRAN (Egyptian Social Democratic Party 4%, Abdel-Samad YAMAMA 1.9% 2018: Abdelfattah ELSISI reelected president in first round; percent of valid votes cast - Abdelfattah ELSISI (independent) 97.1%, Moussa Mostafa MOUSSA (El Ghad Party) 2.9%; note - more than 7% of ballots cast were deemed invalid expected date of next election: 2029
Legislative branch
legislative structure: bicameral
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.958 trillion (2024 est.) $1.912 trillion (2023 est.) $1.842 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$16,800 (2024 est.) $16,700 (2023 est.) $16,400 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
28.3% (2024 est.) 33.9% (2023 est.) 13.9% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Saudi Arabia 10%, Turkey 9%, Italy 6%, USA 5%, UAE 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 16%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Russia 6%, USA 6%, Germany 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
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
Military expenditures
0.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 1% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2020 est.)