Egypt - Population

The population of Egypt in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 71,931,000, which placed it as number 15 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 4% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 36% of the population under 15 years of age. There were an equal amount of males and females in the country in 2003. According to the UN, the annual population growth rate for 2000–2005 is 1.99%, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 89,996,000. The average population density in 2002 was 71 per sq km (184 per sq mi). However, density varies from 32,500 per sq km (84,150 per sq mi) in Cairo to 23 per sq km (60 per sq mi) in the Suez governate.

Populated areas constitute only 6% of Egypt's total area. Some 99% of all Egyptians live in the Nile Valley. It was estimated by the Population Reference Bureau that 45% of the population lived in urban areas in 2001. The capital city, Cairo, had a population of 10,345,000 in that year. Alexandria's metropolitan population was 3,995,000. Other large cities include Giza (Al-Jizah), 2,156,000; Shubra El-Khemia, 1,556,000; Port Said, 461,000; and Suez, 392,000. Aaccording to the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000–2005 was 2.3%.