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Egypt Population

by Vishal Kumar

Egypt's Population is mainly dense in and around the Nile basin. Egypt is considered to be one of the most populous countries in Africa.


According to a survey conducted in July 2007, is estimated to be around 80,335,036. The estimated rate of growth of the population in Egypt is 1.721%. Egypt is considered to be one of the most populous countries in Africa.

The sex ratio of Egypt’s population is 1.017 males per female.

The total area occupied by Africa is 1,001,450 sq km. The Egypt population is mainly dense in and around the Nile basin. The fertile river plains have always attracted people to settle down in this region. Thus the population of Egypt comprises immigrants as well as the local inhabitants.

The people of Egypt comprise different ethnic groups. The nationality of the people of the country is Egyptian. They comprise 98% of the total population. Bedouin, Nubian, and Beja cover only 1% of the population. The rest of the 1% of the population is comprised of Europeans mainly of French and Italian origin. Armenians and Greeks also form part of the population.

The religion of the population of Egypt is mainly Islam. Muslims dominate 90% of the total population, most of which are Sunni Muslims. Christianity is also practiced by some people. 9% of them are Coptic and only 1% consist of other Christian communities.

Egypt is one of the most populated countries not only in the African continent but also in the Middle East and in the Arab world. According to the 2006 census conducted by the government’s statistics agency, the population of Egypt has sprung up to 72.6 million with a growth rate of 2.0 percent each year in the past decade.

In the years 1996 and 1986, the growth rate had been 2.1 and 2.8 respectively thus suggesting that the current growth rate has diminished. There was a huge population shift during the period of 1960s and 1970s when there was an influx of migrants from the rural areas to the cities.

The majority of the population in Egypt is concentrated on the fertile banks of the river Nile, especially in Alexandria and Cairo, within the Delta and the Suez Canal. Thus there is an unequal distribution of population in the various parts of the country. Cairo, the capital of Egypt has the highest population density (2136.1 persons per sq km against 63.7 persons per sq km).

The results of the past five censuses have shown that in spite of the decreasing fertility rates, there has been a continual rise in the population of Egypt. Over the past decade, the population of Egypt has expanded by 15 million and it is estimated to reach 138 million within the next fifty years. Thus it is feared that if such a population explosion takes place in the coming years, then all agrarian land within the Nile valley will diminish between 2070-2100.

The biggest ethnic group in Egypt is the Egyptians, comprising the bulk of the population. Other minor ethnic groups include the Bedouin Arab clans inhabiting the Sinai Peninsula and the eastern deserts, the Berber-speaking Siwis, the ancient communities of the Nubians and Bejas, and a group of Dom tribes. Apart from this, Egypt is also home to a large number of asylum seekers, and Sudanese and Palestinian refugees.

Demographics of Egypt

The demographics of Egypt are very interesting. In Africa, the country of Egypt comes second in population. The population mainly settled near the River Nile. Egypt has been the center of the ancient civilization of the world.

The total population of Egypt according to a survey of July 2007 is 80,335,036. The rate of population growth per year is about 1.721%. The ratio of males per females in the total population of Egypt is 1.017. The literacy rate of the total population is 71.4%. There are many ethnic groups that reside in different parts of Egypt.

Out of the total population, the percentage of Egyptians is 89 %. The other ethnic groups of Egypt occupy only 1 % of the total population. The rest of the population is occupied by European people mainly of French and Italian origin. The ethnic groups in Egypt are:

  • Nubian
  • Berber
  • Beja
  • Bedouin

The demographics of Egypt comprise several crucial facts and figures. The nationality of the people of the country is Egyptian. The religion followed by the people of Egypt is Islam. 90% of the population is Muslim dominated and the Coptic occupies only 10 %. Only a negligible percentage of the population is comprised of Christians.

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