Egypt’s total fertility rate fell to 2.34 births per woman by the end of 2025, down from 2.54 in 2023, officials reported at a National Population Council meeting.
Health and Population Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar presented the figures during the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. The crude birth rate also declined to 18.1 births per 1,000 population from 19.5 over the same period. Female unemployment fell from 17.8 percent to 15.3 percent while female labour market participation rose from 15.7 percent to 20.7 percent.
The government launched an urgent plan in January 2025 under the National Population Strategy. It targets a fertility rate of 2.1 by the end of 2027. Red zones with high population pressure decreased from 74 to 20, and 13 governorates are now free of such zones.
National Population Council supervisor Abla Al-Alfi stated the plan aims to eliminate all red zones by the end of 2026. A follow-up execution plan for the 2026/27 fiscal year was developed in late 2025. The Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics presented preliminary survey findings showing an 18.2 percent fertility drop since 2021, with final results due in December 2026.