As Egypt is the most-populous Arab nation and third-most populous in Africa, population pressure is driving the nation’s economic agenda, with an estimated 3.5m young Egyptians entering the labour force by 2023. Recent years have seen an array of public initiatives aimed at encouraging private sector activity, but these remain hampered by a challenging economic backdrop and structural hurdles.
Egypt is a large and fast-growing country. It is the most-populous Arab nation, the third-most-populous country in Africa and the 14th-most-populous country in the world. As of 2017 the population was some 97.5m, according to the World Bank, and growing by 2% per year. According to the live ticker on the website for the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics the population is over 98m and will cross the 100m threshold during 2019.
Population pressure is one of the key factors driving the national economic agenda. In a 2018 assessment of the challenges and opportunities facing the country, the IMF highlighted the need for private entities to provide employment opportunities for the estimated 3.5m young Egyptians entering the labour force by 2023. Recent years have seen an array of government initiatives aimed at encouraging businesses to invest in their own growth, but these efforts have been hampered by a challenging economic backdrop and a number of structural hurdles to private sector activity.
Renewed leadership: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, on growing regional ties, improving trade and...
Legacy reforms: Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, IMF, on spending reforms for sustainable and...
Strengthening ties: Jeffrey Donaldson, UK Trade Envoy to Egypt, on UK-Egypt trade relations and...
In the zone: Sahar Nasr, Minister of Investment and International Cooperation, on enhancing the...
Business-friendly reform: Tarek Tawfik, President, American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, on...
Branching out: Hisham Ezz Al Arab, Chairman, Federation of Egyptian Banks and Commercial...
Explore any of the chapters below to select an article.
Stay updated on how some of the world’s most promising markets are being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and what actions governments and private businesses are taking to mitigate challenges and ensure their long-term growth story continues.
Register now and also receive a complimentary 2-month licence to the OBG Research Terminal.
Register Here×
