ESCWA praised Egypt’s 2025 social protection reforms as a shift toward a fairer, more inclusive system.
CAIRO - 4 APRIL 2026: Egypt’s Cabinet media center has said the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) has highlighted Egypt’s 2025 reforms in social protection.
The ESCWA described the reforms as a structural shift toward a system that is more fair and inclusive.
According to the Cabinet briefing, Egypt took several steps in 2025 to expand the safety net and close outstanding gaps in coverage, especially for groups that have traditionally been outside formal protection systems.
A key part of the reform package was the adoption of Law No. 12 of 2025 on Social Insurance, which the Cabinet said created a unified framework for social assistance.
The idea is to move away from fragmented support and toward a more integrated approach that can reach families in need more consistently and transparently.
The Cabinet statement also pointed to reforms linked to Labor Law No. 14 of 2025, which it said helped widen official protection to include irregular workers, a group that has often lacked stable coverage despite being a backbone of many sectors in the economy.
At the same time, the briefing said Egypt made progress on rolling out the second phase of the Universal Health Insurance system, as part of a broader push to improve access to essential services alongside cash support.
The Cabinet media center added that Egypt expanded the reach of the Takaful and Karama programs and approved temporary cash and food support starting from Ramadan.
The same package was also described as including reforms linked to energy and food subsidies, framed as part of efforts to improve targeting while keeping support in place for those most in need.
Officials presented the overall direction as a move toward a stronger social contract: wider coverage, clearer rules, and a system that can respond faster when families face sudden pressure from prices, health costs, or job instability.
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