The minister made his remarks while addressing the press about the upcoming International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which Egypt is set to host 5-8 September in the New Administrative Capital, located east of Cairo.

The country's growing population puts immense pressure on the state's economic and developmental resources, reducing access to education, healthcare, housing, water, and agricultural land, Abdel-Ghaffar emphasized

"The Egyptian state is steadfastly committed to enhancing the quality of life for its citizens by curbing population growth and aligning it with the expansion of economic resources," Abdel-Ghaffar said.

Abdel-Ghaffar provided insights into Egypt's achievements in population control, citing a decline in the number of births from 2.7 million in 2014 to 2.2 million in 2022. Furthermore, the total fertility rate has decreased from 3.5 children per woman in 2014 to 2.8 in 2021, he noted.

Highlighting the country's progress in family planning, Abdel-Ghaffar disclosed that the use of family planning methods increased to 66.4 percent in 2021 from 58.5 percent in 2014.

However, the minister acknowledged that an equilibrium between population and resources has not yet been achieved.

Egypt's place in the population rankings has held steady for close to a decade. 

Population conference
 

Abdel-Ghaffar announced that the upcoming ICPD will feature prominent decision-makers from regional and international levels, European institutions, entrepreneurs, and pharmaceutical companies.

The global event will facilitate in-depth discussions among researchers and policy-makers on the interplay between population, health, and development, according to the minister.

During the conference, Egypt will unveil its National Strategy for Population, he concluded.