Egypt is 14th most populous country worldwide despite decline in fertility rate

CAIRO – 30 July 2023: Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar stated in a press conference Sunday that Egypt ranked 14th worldwide in terms of population size and that the country is among eight states where large population growth is expected to occur.

Nevertheless, the minister pointed out that the fertility rate dropped from 3.5 children per woman in 2014 to 2.8. However, the annual number of births is still high with 2.1 million, which has made the Egyptian population record around 105 million.

Abdel Ghaffar stressed that the Egyptian state is eager for securing a decent life to citizens, noting that President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi was interested in resolving the overpopulation issue as it constituted an obstacle to accomplishing the needed development.