Egypt Economy

Prior to the 2011 revolution, Egypt was making steady progress in reducing persistent fiscal deficits, thanks to sustained efforts by reformist governments. One of the most enduring legacies of that period is a much-improved tax system, which replaced a bloated and inefficient process with a more streamlined and wider-based structure. Simplified tax procedures and lower...

Two years of political upheaval have increased tensions over the country’s financial health and left the economy in an uncertain situation. After tourists and many foreign investors departed following the 2011 revolution, foreign currency reserves declined. Egypt’s average monthly current account deficit stands at between $400m and $500m. With over $20bn spent since the...

The Arab world’s second-largest economy, with a GDP of $257.3bn in 2012, according to the World Bank, has undergone more than two years of political transition that has yet to be resolved. The results of this process have had a deleterious effect on vulnerable sectors, such as the nation’s traditionally strong tourism industry, frozen out foreign...

The government’s attempts to meet Egypt’s budgetary shortfalls have comprised three broad strands: the sale of government bonds in the domestic market, securing sovereign grants from friendly nations, and attempting to secure a financing package through the IMF, which could help open the door to additional developmental aid from international...

One big factor that contributed to the 2011 revolution in Egypt was the increasing sense of alienation and disempowerment felt by the country’s poor, who in Egypt tend to be concentrated in rural districts away from the main urban centres of Cairo and Alexandria. As a result, in recent years there has been a growing recognition of the role that...

Like many emerging markets, Egypt’s economic structure is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Estimates vary, but sources such as the OECD and Egypt’s General Authority for Investment (GAFI) assert that they account for between 80% and 90% of total businesses, and between 75% and 80% of total employment in the country.