Economy — Egypt
GDP, employment, industries, public finance, and currency.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Economy at a glance
GDP, employment, industries, public finance, and currency. Key figure for Egypt: 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 Moh…
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Economic overview
- Economic 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 be challenged to obtain foreign and local investment in manufacturing and other sectors without a sustained effort to implement a range of business reforms.
- Industries
Textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals, light manufactures
- GDP - per capita (PPP)
$12,100.00 (USD)
- GDP - real growth rate
3.8%
GDP & growth
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product (PPP)
$1,223,040,000,000 (USD)
- GDP Per Capita
$12,100.00 (USD)
- GDP - real growth rate
3.8%
- GDP - official exchange rate
$342,800,000,000 (USD)
- GDP - composition, by end use
- Household consumption: 84.4%
- Government consumption: 12%
- Investment in fixed capital: 12.1%
- Investment in inventories: 0.4%
- Exports of goods and services: 12.7%
- Imports of goods and services: -21.6%
- GDP by Sector- agriculture
11.3%
- GDP by Sector- Industry
35.8%
- GDP by Sector- services
52.9%
- Industrial Growth Rate
0.6%
Prices & money
- Inflation Rate
12.1%
- Exchange Rate per US Dollar
9.71
- Currency Name and Code
Egyptian pounds (EGP)
- Fiscal Year
1 July - 30 June
- Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
12.5%
Employment & labor
- Labor Force
31,960,000
- Unemployment Rate
13.1%
- Major Industries
Textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals, light manufactures
- Agriculture Products
Cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats
- Population Below Poverty Line
25.2%
- Child Labor - # of children ages 5-14
1,066,526
- Child Labor - % of children ages 5-14
7%
Public finance
- Annual Budget
$60,090,000,000 (USD)
- Public Debt (% of GDP)
92.6%
- Budget Surplus or Deficit - percent of GDP
-9.4%
- Taxes and other revenues - percent of GDP
17.5%