Country profile

The Arab Republic of Egypt is a unitary country. It gained its independence in 1922 and it was declared a Republic in 1953. The chief of state is the President, who is elected by absolute majority popular vote for a term of six years, renewable. Administratively, Egypt’s local government is organised in three levels: governorates, regions and districts. The country has 27 governorates and their governors are appointed by the President.

Table 1. Main economic indicators of Egypt 1970-2019

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2019

Population

Population, total (millions)

34.5

40.6

51.9

64

78.7

98.9

Labour force, total (millions) (national estimate)

...

...

15.5

20

26.2

28.3

Unemployment, total (% of total labour force) (national estimate)

2.4

5.2

8.4

9

9

7.9

Employment-to-population ratio (15+, total%, modelled ILO estimate)

... 

... 

42.3a

42

44.8

40.5

Aggregate economy

GDP, million USD (constant prices & PPPs, 2017)

...

…

341 673

533 080

855 757

1 180 890

GDP, million USD current

8 042

21 670

42 979

99 839

218 984

303 092

GDP per capita, USD current

233

500.4

765.6

1 450.5

2 646

3 020

GDP per capita USD (constant prices & PPPs, 2017)

…

…

6 086.7

7 744.7

10 340

11 763.3

GDP growth (average previous 10 years)

5.1

6.7

6.3

4.6

4.9

3.7b

Gross fixed capital formation (% of GDP)

11

24.6

27.3

19

19.2

17.3

Inflation, consumer prices (annual %)

3.8

20.8

16.8

2.8

11.3

9.2

External sector

Trade (% of GDP)

30.7

73.4

52.9

39

47.9

43.3

Exports of goods and services (million USD constant 2010 prices)

1 959

5 921.9

10 395

15 751

46 751

87 565

Imports of goods and services (million USD constant 2010 prices)

7 795.2

13 910.3

17 506.5

24 762.6

58 221

106 790.4

High-technology exports (% of total exports, Lall classification)

...

...

...

1.6

1.5

3

(% of manufactured exports, Lall classification)

...

...

...

4.7

3.6

6.8

Economic activities

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added, million USD constant 2015 prices

(% of gross value added)

9 038

(30.4)

11 687.9

(18)

16 056

(13.5)

22 042.4

(12.3)

31 315.2

(11.2)

40 970.3

(10.9)

Industry (including construction) value added, million USD constant 2015 prices (% of gross value added)

11 001.9

(37)

27 342.7

(42.3)

46 769.5

(39.2)

67 650.1

(37.8)

109 416

(39.3)

130 359

(35)

Of which manufacturing (% of gross value added)

5 648.9

(19)

8 156

(12.6)

16 645.5

(14)

30 646.7

(17.1)

48 153.8

(17.3)

58 928.8

(15.8)

Services value added, constant 2015 USD

(% of gross value added)

9 512.8

(32)

25 545.1

(39.5)

56 483.7

(47.3)

89 273.8

(49.9)

138 203

(49.6)

201 018.8

(53.8)

Total natural resources rents (% of GDP)

1.9

33.3

18.3

7.7

9

5

Energy

Renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output)

… 

… 

23.5

17.7

10

8.3c

Of which electricity production from hydroelectric sources (% of total)

63d

51.8

23.5

17.5

8.9

7.38c

Renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption)

… 

… 

8.5

8.1

5.7

5.7c

GDP per unit of energy use (constant 2017 PPP$ per kg pf oil equivalent

10.26

13.1

11.8

12.5c

Science and technology indicators

GERD, % of GDP

...

...

...

0.19

0.43

0.72e

GERD, % financed by business

3.9 e

Researchers in R&D (per million people)

492.4

687e

Fixed broadband subscriptions (per 100 people)

...

...

...

0.07f

1.8

7.6

Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people)

...

...

...

2

85

95

Note: a1991 bfrom 2011 to 2019, c2015, d1971, e2018, f2002. GERD: gross expenditure on research & development. R&D: research and development.

Source: OECD National Accounts, IEA Statistics, International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database, United Nations Comtrade database, ILOSTAT database, International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics, United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics, World Bank Statistics and Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

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