Egyptian population grows by 250K in 2 months

CAIRO – 26 April 2022: Egypt's Population Record hit Monday 103,250,000 with an increase of 250,0000, in just two months, up from 103 million in February 22.

Former Head of the National Council for Population Amr Hassan commented to Al Watan newspaper that the rate of population increase must not surpass the state's ability to secure basic services in the appropriate quality or influence the average share per capita of natural resources, such as water, energy, and agricultural land.

Equally, the rate of population increase must be compatible with the economy's ability to achieve a high level of human development, and reduce unemployment.

Hassan added that if the new cities and road networks are the key to achieve a balanced distribution of the population, devising solutions to the overpopulation crisis is the key to for good national planning in general.  

The former official pointed out that although Egypt began combating overpopulation in 1965, but not much has been achieved. He added that the government should benefit from the political leadership's desire to reduce the annual population increase from over two million to 400,000 by formulating and implementing relevant effective strategies.

Hassan had stated in October that the Egyptian population grew by half a million in the previous 100 days.

Hassan pointed out that the most populated governorates out of the 27 are Cairo, Giza, Sharqia, Daqahlia, and Beheira.

The former official seconded President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi's opinion that the annual population growth has to be cut to 400,000 per annum down from over two million.

Hassan noted that Egypt has been trying to combat overpopulation since 1965 but has not succeeded because of a bundle of negative social practices. Those are child labor, child marriage, and the high illiteracy rates among women as it reaches 31 percent.

The former official hinted that the government has to work more on resolving that issue saying that the eighties and the nineties were the golden age of awareness campaigns on family planning. 

Hassan added that rural women should be encouraged to enter the labor market so that having a large number of children would not be a priority for them.