Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Cairo, Egypt metro area from 1950 to 2025.

As of January 1, 2023, the aggregate Egyptian population stood at 104.46 million inhabitants. The majority of the population was between zero and four years, adding to over 14 million children. Moreover, the population of Egypt is skewed towards the younger generations, with the population count in each older generation being lower than the previous. The elderly aged 75 years and older amounted to almost one million people. A population that doubled twice Since 1952, the Egyptian population has doubled, in 1980 and 2012, reaching almost 86.5 million. Among the reasons linked to the increasing population is better health services provided for most Egyptians since the establishment of the Egyptian Republic. In more recent years, the population growth in the country increased compared to previous years until 2014, reaching 2.34 percent before decreasing yearly. A job market that needs to absorb a young and growing population Since 2022, the number of new jobs created in the country has recovered compared to between 2018 and 2020. This is evident with the dropping youth unemployment rate in Egypt. However, the youth unemployment rate remains relatively high and stood at 15.7 percent in 2022. This poses a considerable obstacle for a young-growing population looking for work opportunities. In addition, the country registered a drop in youth participation rate in the labor force since 2013 (except for a slight increase in 2021). The rate was almost 20.6 percent in 2020 compared to 34.5 percent seven years prior. 

The total population of Egypt was estimated at approximately 107.30 million people in 2024. Following a continuous upward trend, the total population has risen by around 66.75 million people since 1980. Between 2024 and 2030, the total population will rise by around 14.73 million people, continuing its consistent upward trajectory.This indicator describes the total population in the country at hand. This total population of the country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.

Cairo, in Egypt, ranked as the most populated city in Africa as of 2025, with an estimated population of over 23 million inhabitants living in Greater Cairo. Kinshasa, in Congo, and Lagos, in Nigeria, followed with some 17.8 million and 17.2 million, respectively. Among the 15 largest cities in the continent, another one, Kano, was located in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. Population density trends in Africa As of 2023, Africa exhibited a population density of 50.1 individuals per square kilometer. Since 2000, the population density across the continent has been experiencing a consistent annual increment. Projections indicated that the average population residing within each square kilometer would rise to approximately 58.5 by the year 2030. Moreover, Mauritius stood out as the African nation with the most elevated population density, exceeding 627 individuals per square kilometre. Mauritius possesses one of the most compact territories on the continent, a factor that significantly influences its high population density. Urbanization dynamics in Africa The urbanization rate in Africa was anticipated to reach close to 45.5 percent in 2024. Urbanization across the continent has consistently risen since 2000, with urban areas accommodating only around a third of the total population then. This trajectory is projected to continue its rise in the years ahead. Nevertheless, the distribution between rural and urban populations shows remarkable diversity throughout the continent. In 2024, Gabon and Libya stood out as Africa’s most urbanized nations, each surpassing 80 percent urbanization. As of the same year, Africa's population was estimated to expand by 2.27 percent compared to the preceding year. Since 2000, the population growth rate across the continent has consistently exceeded 2.3 percent, reaching its pinnacle at 2.63 percent in 2013. Although the growth rate has experienced a deceleration, Africa's population will persistently grow significantly in the forthcoming years.

Nigeria is the African country with the largest population, counting over 230 million people. As of 2024, the largest city in Nigeria was Lagos, which is also the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of population size. The city counts more than nine million inhabitants, whereas Kano, the second most populous city, registers around 3.6 million inhabitants. Lagos is the main financial, cultural, and educational center in the country. Where Africa’s urban population is booming The metropolitan area of Lagos is also among the largest urban agglomerations in the world. Besides Lagos, another most populated citiy in Africa is Cairo, in Egypt. However, Africa’s urban population is booming in other relatively smaller cities. For instance, the population of Bujumbura, in Burundi, could grow by 123 percent between 2020 and 2035, making it the fastest growing city in Africa and likely in the world. Similarly, Zinder, in Niger, could reach over one million inhabitants by 2035, the second fastest growing city. Demographic urban shift More than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. In the next decades, this will increase, especially in Africa and Asia. In 2020, over 80 percent of the population in Northern America was living in urban areas, the highest share in the world. In Africa, the degree of urbanization was about 40 percent, the lowest among all continents. Meeting the needs of a fast-growing population can be a challenge, especially in low-income countries. Therefore, there will be a growing necessity to implement policies to sustainably improve people’s lives in rural and urban areas.