As of July 1, 2023, the population density of Egypt was close to 937.6 individuals per square kilometer. Cairo, the capital city, was the most densely inhabited in the country, with 5,668.4 people per square kilometer. Kalyoubia followed, with nearly 5,250 inhabitants per square kilometer. Moreover, the third and fourth most densely populated governorates were Alexandria and Gharbia, with around 3,195 people per square kilometer and 2,795 people per square kilometer, respectively. It is worth noting that Cairo, parts of Giza, and Kalyoubia make up Greater Cairo due to their proximity.

As of January 1, 2023, the aggregate Egyptian population was estimated at almost 104.5 million inhabitants. The capital city, Cairo, was the most populated area in the country, with 10.2 million residents. Moreover, the governorate of Giza followed, with up to 9.46 million people living in the area. South Sinai was the least inhabited governorate in the nation. The touristic region had a mere 115,000 people actively residing in the governorate. A scarcely populated area and a populous capitalEgypt has a total area of close to 1.01 million square kilometers. Yet, only around 105,200 square kilometers of the country are inhabited, representing only around 10.5 percent of the available landmass. Most of the Egyptian population lives along the Nile River due to the majority of the land being a desert. In fact, El Wadi ElGidid, also known as New Valley governorate, located in the south of Egypt's Western Desert, covers almost 42.3 percent of the country. Notably, the population density in Cairo was higher compared to the other governorates at over 5,610 people per square kilometer. Population growth and a New Administrative Capital     Since 1952, the country’s population faced a rapid increase growing from close to 21.5 million to current levels. Between 2012 and 2022, the population growth of Egypt was highest in 2014 at nearly 2.34 percent, dropping yearly ever since. In March 2015, Egypt’s current Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, who was at that time Minister of Housing and Urban Utilities, announced the establishment of the New Administrative Capital. One of the fundamental goals is to decrease the current overpopulation in Greater Cairo and its inability to absorb a fast-growing population.

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

Comprehensive socio-economic dataset for Egypt including population demographics, economic indicators, geographic data, and social statistics. This dataset covers key metrics such as GDP, population density, area, capital city, and regional classifications.

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. 

Lagos, in Nigeria, ranked as the most populated city in Africa as of 2024, with an estimated population of roughly nine million inhabitants living in the city proper. Kinshasa, in Congo, and Cairo, in Egypt, followed with some 7.8 million and 7.7 million dwellers. Among the 15 largest cities in the continent, another two, Kano, and Ibadan, were located in Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa. Population density trends in Africa As of 2022, Africa exhibited a population density of 48.3 individuals per square kilometer. At the beginning of 2000, the population density across the continent has experienced a consistent annual increment. Projections indicated that the average population residing within each square kilometer would rise to approximately 54 by the year 2027. Moreover, Mauritius stood out as the African nation with the most elevated population density, exceeding 640 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 44 percent in 2021. Urbanization across the continent has consistently risen since 2000, with urban areas accommodating 35 percent of the total population. This trajectory is projected to continue its ascent in the years ahead. Nevertheless, the distribution between rural and urban populations shows remarkable diversity throughout the continent. In 2021, Gabon and Libya stood out as Africa’s most urbanized nations, each surpassing 80 percent urbanization. In 2023, Africa's population was estimated to expand by 2.35 percent compared to the preceding year. Since 2000, the population growth rate across the continent has consistently exceeded 2.45 percent, reaching its pinnacle at 2.59 percent between 2012 and 2013. Although the growth rate has experienced a deceleration, Africa's population will persistently grow significantly in the forthcoming years.