Egypt plans bigger spending on people-focused sectors as public investment hits EGP 1.65 trillion

CAIRO - 12 MARCH 2026: Egypt is steering more of its public investment toward “investment in people”... with higher allocations for education, healthcare and social protection, as the Egyptian government is seeking to lift the quality of service and widen development gains beyond major cities.

In new figures shared by the Egyptian Cabinet’s media centre,... public investment in the FY2024/25 plan reached about EGP 1.65 trillion, with around 42% directed to human development sectors, mainly education, health and social protection.

The Egyptian state is targeting a rise to 45% in FY2025/26, a shift officials describe as part of a broader focus on improving citizens’ day-to-day lives.

The same briefing said Egypt’s human and social development investment portfolio now includes 3,252 projects, with total investments of about EGP 118 billion in the FY2024/25 plan. That compares with EGP 29.3 billion in FY2015/16, reflecting a sharp expansion in the size and scale of projects linked to public services and safety nets.

Officials framed the jump as a sign of sustained attention to core services, alongside efforts to strengthen social protection programs and reduce gaps in access to education and healthcare.

The Cabinet also highlighted the continued rollout of the presidential initiative Haya Karima, which aims to develop around 4,500 villages and improve services for more than 58 million people, with work ranging from basic infrastructure upgrades to expanding access to essential services in rural and underserved areas.

The message from the Cabinet briefing is that the state wants to keep pushing the share of public investment going into education, health and social protection, while maintaining large-scale development programs across governorates.

Egyptian officials say the goal is not only more spending, but better outcomes, improved services, stronger safety nets, and a clearer improvement in living standards, especially in areas that have historically received less investment.