Economy - overview:
Occupying the northeast corner of the African continent, Egypt is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley where most economic activity takes place. Egypt's economy was highly centralized during the rule of former President Gamal Abdel NASSER but opened up considerably under former Presidents Anwar EL-SADAT and Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK. Agriculture, hydrocarbons, manufacturing, tourism, and other service sectors drove the country’s relatively diverse economic activity.Despite Egypt’s mixed record for attracting foreign investment over the past two decades, poor living conditions and limited job opportunities have contributed to public discontent. These socioeconomic pressures were a major factor leading to the January 2011 revolution that ousted MUBARAK. The uncertain political, security, and policy environment since 2011 has restricted economic growth and failed to alleviate persistent unemployment, especially among the young.In late 2016, persistent dollar shortages and waning aid from its Gulf allies led Cairo to turn to the IMF for a 3-year, $12 billion loan program. To secure the deal, Cairo floated its currency, introduced new taxes, and cut energy subsidies - all of which pushed inflation above 30% for most of 2017, a high that had not been seen in a generation. Since the currency float, foreign investment in Egypt’s high interest treasury bills has risen exponentially, boosting both dollar availability and central bank reserves. Cairo will need to make a sustained effort to implement a range of business reforms, however, to induce foreign and local investment in manufacturing and other labor-intensive sectors.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: Exchange rates:
$1.199 trillion (2017 est.)
$1.152 trillion (2016 est.)
$1.104 trillion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 22
$332.3 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
4.1% (2017 est.)
4.3% (2016 est.)
4.4% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$13,000 (2017 est.)
$12,800 (2016 est.)
$12,400 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 119
9.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
9.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
10.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 79.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 12.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 17.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 1.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 13.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -23.5% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 11.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 33.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 55.7% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats
textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals, light manufactures
3.5% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
29.95 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: 29.2%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 23.5%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 47.3% (2013 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
12.2% (2017 est.)
12.7% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
25.2% (2011 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 4%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 26.6% (2008)
30.8 (2008)
32.1 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 121
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
revenues: $35.54 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $55.09 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
14.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-9.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
104.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
111.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data cover central government debt and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions
country comparison to the world: 15
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
1 July - 30 June
23.5% (2017 est.)
10.2% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 219
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
9.75% (30 October 2014)
8.75% (5 December 2013)
country comparison to the world: 25
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
19.5% (31 December 2017 est.)
13.6% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$43.56 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$34.51 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$196.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$146.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$194.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$178.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$55.19 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$70.08 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$61.63 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
-$19.83 billion (2017 est.)
-$19.83 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$23.53 billion (2017 est.)
$20.02 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
crude oil and petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals, processed food
UAE 12.5%, Saudi Arabia 7.7%, Italy 6.5%, Turkey 6.3%, UK 4.6%, US 4.5% (2016)
$53.02 billion (2017 est.)
$56.71 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels
China 12.9%, Germany 8.7%, US 5.3%, Italy 4.5%, Turkey 4.3%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2016)
$34.02 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$23.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$76.31 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$62.38 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$103.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$97.14 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
$7.547 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$7.257 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]
Egyptian pounds (EGP) per US dollar -
18.05 (2017 est.)
10.07 (2016 est.)
10.07 (2015 est.)
7.7133 (2014 est.)
7.08 (2013 est.)