File Photo: Egyptian gather at a cafe near a graffiti of Egyptian footballer Mohamed Salah in Cairo. AFP
The data was released to mark the United Nations' (UN) International Youth Day, observed annually on 12 August since its adoption by the General Assembly in 1998.
This year’s theme — Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond — highlights the role of young people in driving development, with more than 65 percent of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) tied to local governance.
Population breakdown
CAPMAS reported that Egyptians aged 18–29 are 51.9 percent male and 48.1 percent female, compared with 50.5 percent male and 49.5 percent female in 2022.
By the UN’s definition of youth (15–24 years), Egypt’s 2025 total is 18.8 million, or 17.5 percent of the population.
In March, CAPMAS stated that females overall make up 48.6 percent of the population — about 52.2 million — with a gender ratio of 106 males for every 100 females.
Higher education
In the 2023/2024 academic year, higher education enrolment stood at 3.8 million students — 50.4 percent male and 49.6 percent female.
Government and Al-Azhar universities enrolled 2.4 million students, with 72.7 percent in theoretical colleges and 27.3 percent in practical fields.
Private, national, and technological universities enrolled 385,900 students, 81.2 percent of whom studied in practical disciplines.
Technical institutes enrolled 199,600 students. The average student–faculty ratio was 22:1 at government and Al-Azhar universities, compared with 15:1 at private and technological institutions.
In 2023, a total of 547,200 students graduated from universities and higher institutes, 56.6 percent of them female. Government universities accounted for 91.8 percent of graduates.
Labour force participation
Preliminary 2024 labour force data shows women’s participation rate at 16.9 percent, compared to 70.3 percent for men.
Among 18–29-year-olds, 42.7 percent were active in the labour market — 80.6 percent male and 19.4 percent female.
Within this age group, 26.1 percent held a university degree or higher, 48.6 percent had an intermediate qualification, 15 percent had below-intermediate qualifications, and 10.3 percent had no formal qualifications.
Unemployment stood at 15.3 percent — 9.9 percent for men and 37.8 percent for women.
Among employed youth, 53.5 percent held permanent jobs, 18.8 percent had formal contracts, 18.6 percent were covered by social insurance, and 15.1 percent had health insurance.
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