In a statement that was released on the occasion of International Day for the Development of Women’s Health, CAPMAS found that the fertility rate in the country was 2.85 births per woman in the age group 15-49 in 2021, a 22 percent decrease from the 3.5 percent figure in 2014.

International Day for the Development of Women’s Health, launched in 2007 by UNESCO, is celebrated on 28 May every year to raise awareness about the importance of women’s health and advocate for better healthcare access for women worldwide.

According to the 2021 Family Health Survey, which was cited by CAPMAS, Beheira governorate in the Nile Delta had the highest rate of married women using family planning methods at 76.7 percent while Qena governorate in Upper Egypt had the lowest rate at 46.9 percent.

Women receiving prenatal care during their last pregnancy rose from 90 percent in 2014 to 97 percent in 2021, according to the survey.

Meanwhile, 72.2 percent of births in 2021 were delivered through a caesarean surgery, up from 51.5 percent in 2014.

Urban centres in Lower Egypt came first in caesarean births at 84 percent, border governorates came last at 53.6 percent, also according to the survey.