The birth rate in Egypt reached 2.4 million in 2023, said Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, the ministry’s spokesman. 

Based on the official data, the number of births in 2023 reached 5,599 per day or nearly 233 per hour, the spokesman added.

However, he noted that Upper Egypt’s governorates of Assiut, Sohag, Qena, Minya, and Luxor recorded the highest birth rates in 2023.

On the other side, the governorates of Port Said, Damietta, Dakahlia, Suez, and Gharbia recorded the lowest birth rates in 2023, he stated. 

Egypt’s birth rate has been declining over the past five years, dropping from 3.5 to 2.85 per woman, the health minister added, pointing out that the figures reflect the country’s recent efforts to confront population increase.

As of 1 January 2024, Egypt’s population stood at 105.8 million, up from 104.4 million in 2022 and 102.8 million in 2021, according to the population clock of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

Approximately 12 million Egyptians live abroad, according to official estimates.

Previously, CAPMAS said that the country’s population could reach 192 million people by 2052 if current growth rates continue. 

However, it noted that this projection could be reduced to 143 million if state efforts to reduce fertility rates are intensified.

Government officials have said that the state will need to double its spending on infrastructure projects and development over the coming 30 years to accommodate the expected growth.

Recently, the country has launched several campaigns and programmes to curb runaway population growth, spending over EGP 100 million (approximately $5.2 million) annually to provide birth control for free or at lowered prices.

In September 2023, Egypt, currently the 14th most populous country worldwide, launched the National Population and Development Strategy (2023-2030), the latest in a series of steps taken by the country to address the population issue.

In March 2023, the country also launched the National Project for Development of the Egyptian Family (NPDEF) to tackle overpopulation out of a comprehensive vision, with a focus on the health, social, family, and economic dimensions.

Under the NPDEF, the government announced providing an annual incentive of EGP 1,000 to married women with no more than two children.

In 2020, the government launched the Etnein Kefaya (Two Are Enough) campaign, which offered financial assistance to those who succeed in family planning.

Egypt aims to further reduce the fertility rate to 1.6 births per woman.