UN Migration Agency (IOM) Supports the First Egyptian Census Collecting Data on Foreigners in Egypt
Cairo, 30 September 2017 – In the presence of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) officially released the results of the 14th Census, which compile up-to-date findings about Egyptian society. The event was attended by the Prime Minister, State Ministers, Governors, representatives of the Parliament, representatives of International Organizations, and academics.
The 2017 edition is the first to be made available electronically in Egypt, and is the latest of a series of decennial censuses, carried out with the aim of documenting crucial Egyptian social and economic indicators to assist policy-makers in shaping evidence-based national policies and plans.
The data covers indicators relevant to Egyptians residing in Egypt, with an annex on data collected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Egyptian expatriates. Future CAPMAS publications will release further data collected through the census, including with regards to foreigners living in Egypt, a group for which IOM advocated the introduction of questions related to nationality and purpose of stay.
According to the figures that were released, population in Egypt numbers 94 million, with an additional 9.5 million Egyptians registered abroad. Approximately 58 million Egyptians are under 25 years old. Fertility rate remains high at 3.4, and the illiteracy rate across the country is today higher than 20%.
IOM supported the establishment of a Migration Data Analysis Unit within CAPMAS in November 2016, and continues to support the unit through multiple capacity-building activities with the aim of collecting and analyzing data related to migration, especially concerning the indicators listed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
IOM’s support to CAPMAS is in line with Egypt’s commitment to the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 10 Reduced Inequalities and 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. It also contributes to measuring progress towards the realization of the Social Justice and Knowledge, Innovation and Scientific Research Pillars of Egypt’s Sustainable Development Strategy: Vision 2030.