20% of Egyptian children unplanned, 11.8% never wanted: CAPMAS

CAIRO – 30 August 2022: Consultant to the Chairman of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) Abdel Hamid Sharaf El Din stated in a press conference Tuesday that 20 percent of Egyptian children born by 2021 were unplanned.

Sharaf El Din added that 11.8 percent of those were not wanted at all, up from 8.3 percent in 2014. The screening carried out in 2021 showed that the desire to have more children decreases among women with kids, so as 55 percent of mothers of two do not want more kids. The percentage is much higher among mothers of three, as it is 82 percent.

In urban areas, the average number of children per mother became 2.2 in 2021. On the other hand, it is 3.7 in Upper Egyptian rural areas. Speaking of the education factor, the average number of children per a mother, who finished high school or earned at least a bachelor's degree, is 2.6. By contrast, it is 3.6 when the mother did not finish elementary school.

In 2014, the average number of children per mother was 3.5; but in 2021, it plummeted to 2.85.   

The Egyptian Population Watch recorded in May 103,346,795, showing an increase of 96,795 in less than a month compared to April 26.

Cairo and Giza come on top with 10,125,874 and 9,363,886, respectively. On the other hand, North Sinai is the least populated with 450,528 dwellers only.

Egypt's Population Record hit in April 103,250,000 with an increase of 250,0000, in just two months, up from 103 million on February 22.