Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt’s population growth is showing signs of a notable slowdown, driven by a decline in birth rates, according to recent figures released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). The country’s internal population has now reached 108 million, based on the latest data compiled in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Population Egypt’s primary source for vital statistics such as births and deaths.
Abdel Moneim Abdel Maula, Director General of Vital Statistics at CAPMAS, highlighted that it took 287 days for Egypt’s population to grow by its latest million. This marks a noticeable increase from the previous milestone, which was reached in just 268 days a difference of 19 days that officials interpret as a sign of declining population growth.
“The extended period to reach one million additional people suggests a slowdown in population increase, largely due to a relative drop in birth rates,” Abdel Maula explained.
A Shifting Demographic Trend
The data indicates that Egypt recorded approximately 1.48 million births against 482,000 deaths during the latest tracking period. While the country continues to experience positive natural growth, the pace is clearly decelerating a trend that demographers and policymakers are monitoring closely.
Egypt’s population dynamics have long posed challenges to development planning, particularly in urban infrastructure, education, and healthcare. Slowing population growth could offer a potential window for policy recalibration, particularly if the trend proves sustainable over the coming years.
How Egypt Tracks Its Population
Explaining the country’s methodology for tracking population data, Abdel Maula noted that Egypt conducts a comprehensive national census every ten years. The last such census took place in 2017, when the population was recorded at 94.8 million. Since then, changes have been tracked in real time through an integrated digital system that tallies births and deaths using linked databases managed by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Planning.
“This real-time system allows us to monitor population changes with high accuracy,” said Abdel Maula, noting that the population clock visible on public display and online draws its figures directly from this centralized data infrastructure.
Implications for Policy and Planning
The decline in the birth rate may reflect the early impacts of national awareness campaigns and family planning initiatives aimed at reducing population pressure. The Egyptian government has been vocal about the need to curb rapid population growth, which has historically outpaced economic development and strained public services.
While the country still faces long-term demographic challenges, particularly in rural areas where birth rates remain higher, the latest statistics suggest a possible shift toward more sustainable population growth levels. If maintained, this could ease pressure on national resources and improve prospects for economic reform and social development.
