Egypt’s fast-growing population hit 100 million people the
official statistics agency announced, illustrating a pressing problem for an
overburdened country with limited resources.
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| Remote part of Cairo, Egypt |
The
staggering figure is an increase of 7 million since the publication of census
results in 2017. Egypt’s population has tripled since 1960, with the annual
growth rate peaking in 1987 at nearly 2.8%.
The country is trying to cope with
resurgent birth rates and what the World Bank calls a “youth bulge.” Egypt’s
statistics agency estimated that those aged 18-29 comprise more than 20% of the
population.
Most
of the country’s population is crammed into urban areas near the Nile. Cairo
and Giza province are home to a combined population of 19 million, officials
said.
The
milestone quickly set off alarms over further economic strain.
“The
population problem is one of the biggest challenges facing the state,” said
Hala el-Said, the minister of planning and economic development.
Egypt,
the most populous Arab country, has been scrambling to stem its soaring birth
rate — about 2 million a year — as economic discontent mounts with one-third of
the country living in poverty.
The government recently introduced an ambitious
family planning campaign called “Two is Enough,” trying to challenge
deep-rooted cultural traditions in rural areas, where contraception is scarce
and children are viewed as a vital labour source and an insurance policy for
old age.
To
stave off economic collapse as part of a bailout from the International
Monetary Fund, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government has pushed
ambitious reforms the past three years.
Tough
austerity measures included slashed fuel subsidies and dramatically hiked
prices of everything from subway fares to utility costs. The benefits have yet
to trickle down to working-class Egyptians who are struggling to cover their
basic needs. The youth unemployment rate hovers around 34%, the World Bank
reported.
In
a news conference February 11, Said warned that unchecked growth would compound
the country’s concerns, leading to a decline in “per capita share of housing,
educational and health services and job creation.”
Sisi
has repeatedly lectured Egyptians about the perils of overpopulation,
describing it in one speech as “among the biggest threats facing Egypt,” along
with terrorism. - AP
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