Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest on living wage and income  
Need help?

Egypt

18%
Population below international poverty line
30%
Population below national poverty line
175
per month
National minimum wage
217
per month
Rural living wage
19%
Agricultural workforce
12%
Agriculture share of GDP
5
very high
Risk to workers' rights

Context

Egypt has a population of 112 million people, of which 57% live in rural areas and the remaining 43% in urban centers. The agricultural sector accounts for 29% of total employment and contributes to the country’s GDP by 10.6%.

Despite its relatively small contribution to GDP, agriculture is of vital importance for Egypt as a major economic activity. Many citizens highly depend on sustenance farming. Smallholder farmers represent half of Egypt’s agricultural holdings, with plots of less than 0.42 hectares.

Despite its dry climate, Egypt has the Nile to thank for its fertile land, allowing the country to be a large marker for various agricultural products. The top produced crops in Egypt are sugar cane, sugar beet, wheat, maize, tomatoes and potatoes, respectively. Egypt’s top commodities in terms of export quantity are oranges, onions, shallots, and beet pulp.

Wages

Minimum wage

The minimum wage in Egypt is set by law at 6,000 Egyptian Pound () per month. It is based on 8 hours per day for 5-day workweek or on 7 hours per day for a 6-day workweek.

However, the minimum wage only covers public sector and government workers, leaving a lack of regulation in the private and informal sectors. This uneven playing field poses a challenge to improve the poor working conditions faced by workers in the informal economy, who make up 40% of the total workforce.

Living wage

The Global Living Wage Coalition, has developed a study for rural Egypt, based on the Anker methodology, which refers specifically to the rural areas of the country.

The Anker Living Wage Reference Value is estimated at 7,418 Egyptian Pound () per month, which is more than double the national minimum wage. The reference value is a wage which would guarantee workers a in a typical rural area in Egypt. Due to the heterogeneous poverty rates in Egypt, it is expected that the minimum living wage gaps will vary greatly from one area to another.

What's happening

resource

Living Wage Reference Value, Rural Egypt

Living wage estimate for workers in a typical rural area of Egypt to afford a basic but decent living standard. Global Living Wage Coalition.       

initiative

Inside Inequality in the Arab republic of Egypt

A book, collaboration of the World Bank and the Social Contract Center of Egypt, drawing a picture on inequality inside of Egypt’s borders.

Learned enough?