Egypt's fertility rate has decreased significantly, falling 18.2 percent between 2021 and 2025 to reach 2.33 children per woman. This information comes from the preliminary results of a family health survey conducted by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). The decline brings the rate closer to the government's interim target of 2.1 children per woman.
The CAPMAS survey also provided further findings on adolescent births, family planning, and maternal care. Births among adolescents under 20 fell to 34.6 per 1,000 women, down from 50 in the 2021 survey, representing a decline of about 31 percent. This decrease indicates a positive trend in the country's family planning efforts.
The use of long-acting contraceptive methods, including intrauterine devices and implants, has increased, according to CAPMAS. However, the agency did not provide a comparative percentage in the results presented. The survey also found that 92.4 percent of women received regular antenatal care, 98 percent of deliveries were attended by a qualified provider, and 96 percent took place in health facilities.
Support for using contraception before a first pregnancy among unmarried people aged 15 to 29 rose to 28 percent from 18 percent in 2021, CAPMAS said. This shift in attitude is crucial for the country's population strategy. The 2025 survey followed the same international methodology as the agency's 2021 family health survey, allowing CAPMAS to track changes in the indicators over time.
The findings of the survey will help assess progress under Egypt's 2023–2030 population strategy. Health and Population Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar and Planning and Economic Development Minister Ahmed Rostom attended the presentation, alongside representatives of the United Nations, UNICEF, and the World Bank. The new results extend an earlier decline, with the health ministry putting fertility at 2.41 children per woman in 2024, compared with 2.85 in 2021.
The health ministry has linked slower population growth in 2025 to wider access to family planning services. Despite the falling fertility rate, CAPMAS projects that Egypt's population will continue to grow in the coming decades. The government is working to address population growth through various initiatives and strategies.
CAPMAS Chairman Akram El-Gohary stated that the survey's results would provide valuable insights into the country's population trends. The agency's efforts to track changes in population indicators over time will help inform policy decisions and assess the effectiveness of population strategies.
Key points
- Egypt's fertility rate declined by 18.2% between 2021 and 2025, reaching 2.33 children per woman.
- The use of long-acting contraceptive methods has increased, and support for using contraception before a first pregnancy among unmarried people aged 15 to 29 rose to 28 percent from 18 percent in 2021.
- The findings of the survey will help assess progress under Egypt's 2023–2030 population strategy.
