Egypt (Arab Republic of Egypt)

Egypt Arab Republic of Egypt
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	127th best
Capital	Cairo
Land Area	995 450km21
Location	Africa, The Mediterranean, The Middle East
Population	98.4m2
Life Expectancy	70.22yrs (2017)3
GNI	$11 732 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	EG, EGY, 8185
Internet Domain	.eg6
Currency	Pound (EGP)7
Telephone	+208

1. Overview
2. Egypt National and Social Development
3. Egypt's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Egypt's Health
6. Egypt's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Egypt's Modernity and Learning
8. Egypt's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#egypt #tunisia #UK

“The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty with the overthrow of the British-backed monarchy in 1952. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to meet the demands of Egypt's growing population through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure. Egyptian youth and opposition groups, inspired by events in Tunisia leading to overthrow of the government there, organized non-violent demonstrations, marches, and labor strikes in Cairo and other cities throughout Egypt early in 2011. Protester grievances focused on police brutality, state emergency laws, lack of free speech and elections, high unemployment, rising food prices, inflation, and low minimum wages. Pledges by President MUBARAK for the formation of a new government and additional concessions failed to assuage protesters and resulted in an escalation of the number and intensity of demonstrations and clashes with police. In February 2011 MUBARAK resigned and national leadership was assumed by a Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF). The SCAF dissolved the Egyptian parliament, suspended the nation's constitution, and formed a committee to recommend constitutional changes to facilitate a political transition through democratic elections. Following some delays, elections for a new parliament took place between November 2011 and January 2012; however, the lower house of parliament was dissolved in June after a court ruling deemed its formation illegal. Presidential elections held in May and June witnessed the victory of Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed MURSI, but elections to form a new lower house of parliament, scheduled spring 2013, have been put on hold by the Administrative Court in order to review legal arguments over the process used to approve the amended election law.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Perhaps no other people in the world say `Welcome´ so frequently - and mean it every time. Egypt´s ancient civilisation still awes, but today's Egyptians are pretty amazing, too. With sand-covered tombs, austere pyramids and towering Pharaonic temples, Egypt brings out the explorer in all of us. Visit the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, where Tutankhamun´s tomb was unearthed, and see the glittering finds in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Hop off a Nile boat to visit a waterside temple, or trek into the desert to find the traces of Roman trading outposts. You never know - your donkey might stumble across yet another find, just as many previous discoveries were made.

Egypt is the most traveller-friendly country in the Middle East. This means you´ll enjoy decent places to sleep and English spoken to some degree everywhere. It also means that if you ever get into a jam, an Egyptian will likely be there to help you out. Then again, an Egyptian will also be there to sell you some papyrus or perfume - an undeniable reality of travel here. But the souvenir sales are a minor irritant when compared with the chance to connect with some of the world´s most generous people.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Egypt National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
94=	Turkmenistan	0.745
95	Ecuador	0.740
96	Mongolia	0.739
97=	Egypt	0.731
97=	Tunisia	0.731
99	Fiji	0.730
100=	Suriname	0.730
101	Uzbekistan	0.727
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
99	Equatorial Guinea	$12 074
100	St Lucia	$12 048
101	St Vincent & Grenadines	$11 961
102	Egypt	$11 732
103	Dominica	$11 488
104	Indonesia	$11 466
105	Algeria	$10 800
106	Mongolia	$10 588
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
124	Namibia	99.3
125	Oman	99.4
126	Iran	100.3
127	Egypt	100.3
128	Bangladesh	100.6
129	Bhutan	100.8
130	Saudi Arabia	101.6
131	Uzbekistan	101.6
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Egypt's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Egypt's population is predicted to rise to 106.5 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 2.88. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
11	Mexico	126.2m
12	Ethiopia	109.2m
13	Philippines	106.7m
14	Egypt	98.4m
15	Vietnam	95.5m
16	Congo, DR	84.1m
17	Germany	83.1m
18	Turkey	82.3m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
115	Solomon Islands	70.3
116	Suriname	70.3
117	Paraguay	70.3
118	Egypt	70.2
119	Mexico	70.2
120	Honduras	70.1
121	Kyrgyzstan	70.0
122	St Vincent & Grenadines	69.6
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
141	Algeria	2.83
142	Spain	1.16
143	Malta	1.15
144	Egypt	2.88
145	Israel	2.89
146	Singapore	1.04
147	Lesotho	2.98
148	British Virgin Islands	1.02
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
69	Cape Verde	10.0
70	Philippines	10.3
71	Cambodia	10.4
72=	Egypt	10.5
72=	Libya	10.5
72=	S. Africa	10.5
75	Bangladesh	10.6
76=	Nepal	10.8
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
168	Algeria	0.6%
169	Mongolia	0.6%
170	Tunisia	0.5%
171	Egypt	0.5%
172	Guatemala	0.5%
173	Cambodia	0.5%
174	Honduras	0.4%
175	Solomon Islands	0.4%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
117	Colombia	4.6%
118	Sierra Leone	4.6%
119	Philippines	4.6%
120	Egypt	4.4%
121	Germany	4.3%
122	S. Korea	4.3%
123	Belgium	4.2%
124	Syria	4.2%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#egypt #egypt_women #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance #women

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
153	Nigeria	117.1
154	Niger	117.3
155	Rwanda	117.3
156	Egypt	118.4
157	Cuba	119.1
158	Liberia	119.5
	Africa Avg	110.04
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Egypt is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Egypt does better than average when it comes to its nominal commitment to Human Rights₁₉. But that's it. Egypt has problems. It does worse than average for opposing gender inequality₂₀ (still good for Africa), commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₁, eliminating modern slavery₂₂ (still good for Africa), its average Freedom in the World rating, freethought₂₃ and in LGBT equality₂₄. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₅ (amongst the highest in Africa), its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₆, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₇ and in supporting press freedom₂₈ (one of the worst in Africa). Independent newspapers and news websites that the government dislike face arbitrary restrictions, confiscation of equipment and their staff are harassed - Al-Borsa, Daily News Egypt, Masry al-Arabiya and Cairo Portal were all abused in 2017₂₉. "President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi [crushes] public dissent in Egypt"₃₀ and security forces use torture to obtain confessions₂₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Egypt

5. Egypt's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #egypt #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)31
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31
1	Tunisia	69.2
2	Mauritius	69.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
4	Morocco	91.9
5	Libya	98.0
6	Algeria	100.7
7	Cape Verde	110.5
8	S. Africa	115.9
9	Egypt	117.0
10	Djibouti	122.6
11	Botswana	129.6
12	Eritrea	130.2
13	Lesotho	131.8
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)31
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank31
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
144	Nicaragua	113.8
145	S. Africa	115.9
146	Philippines	116.9
147	Egypt	117.0
148	Kiribati	117.2
149	Tajikistan	118.2
150	Bolivia	121.9
151	Syria	122.2
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₂. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₃₂.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₃₂, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₂.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Egypt does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Egypt comes in the best 20 in its suicide rate₃₃ (the lowest in Africa) and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₄. It does better than average when it comes to its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅ and in its immunizations take-up₃₆. But, there's bad news too. Egypt does worse than average for its adolescent birth rate₃₇ (still good for Africa), its average life expectancy₁₁ (still high for Africa), its smoking rate₃₈ (amongst the worst in Africa) and in its fertility rate₁₄ (still good for Africa). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Egypt improved by +7.2yrs in the 30 years from 1990, on par with the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Egypt's peak fertility rate was 6.79 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
115	Solomon Islands	70.3
116	Suriname	70.3
117	Paraguay	70.3
118	Egypt	70.2
119	Mexico	70.2
120	Honduras	70.1
121	Kyrgyzstan	70.0
122	St Vincent & Grenadines	69.6
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better34
Pos.		2016 Per Capita34
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
11=	Kiribati	0.4
11=	Iraq	0.4
11=	Brunei	0.4
11=	Egypt	0.4
15	Djibouti	0.5
16=	Niger	0.5
16=	Sudan	0.5
18	Bhutan	0.6
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
141	Algeria	2.83
142	Spain	1.16
143	Malta	1.15
144	Egypt	2.88
145	Israel	2.89
146	Singapore	1.04
147	Lesotho	2.98
148	British Virgin Islands	1.02
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better38
Pos.		201438
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
130	Uruguay	1 135
131	Canada	1 154
132	Albania	1 177
133	Egypt	1 188
134	Vietnam	1 215
135	Iraq	1 227
136	Spain	1 265
137	Malta	1 266
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate33
Pos.		2013 Per 100k33
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
4	Jordan	0.2
5	Maldives	0.7
6	Azerbaijan	1.3
7	S. Africa	1.8
8	Bahamas	2.5
9	Peru	2.9
10	Kuwait	3.6
11	Armenia	3.9
12	Dominican Rep.	4.6
	Africa Avg	6.13
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
70	Latvia	70
71	Liberia	71
72	Kazakhstan	72
73	Egypt	73
74=	Burundi	74
74=	Cameroon	74
76	Malta	76
77	Guatemala	77
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better39
Pos.		2016 %39
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
157	Uruguay	62.9
158	Chile	63.1
159	Venezuela	63.4
160	Egypt	63.5
161=	Andorra	63.7
161=	UK	63.7
163	Fiji	63.8
164	Canada	64.1
	Africa Avg	33.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better37
Pos.		2022 Per 100037
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
112	Palau	42.1
113	Palestine	42.9
114	Brazil	43.6
115	Egypt	43.6
116	Samoa	43.8
117	Tajikistan	44.9
118	Cambodia	45.7
119	St Vincent & Grenadines	46.5
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better36
Pos.		2015 Avg %36
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
88	Argentina	93.7
89	Bulgaria	93.7
90	Serbia	93.5
91	Egypt	93.4
92	Cape Verde	93.4
93	Burundi	93.3
94	Chile	93.3
95	Georgia	93.1
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Egypt's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #egypt #energy #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
28	Benin	76.5
29	Botswana	76.8
30	Congo, (Brazzaville)	77.6
31	Egypt	78.0
32	Algeria	79.7
33	Sierra Leone	83.6
34	Guinea-Bissau	83.7
35	Namibia	83.9
36	Central African Rep.	84.2
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
83	Syria	77.4
84	Congo, (Brazzaville)	77.6
85	Latvia	77.7
86	Egypt	78.0
87	Argentina	78.5
88	Dominica	78.5
89	Iran	79.0
90	Cuba	79.4
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Regarding its responsibility towards the environment, Egypt is positioned 86th in the world. This rank is derived from 7 data sets. Egypt does better than average in energy to GDP efficiency₄₁, reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₂ (but bad for Africa), its environmental performance₄₃ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. Egypt doesn't do so well in other areas. Egypt does worse than average in terms of the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₄. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its score on the Green Future Index₄₅ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₆.

Environmental Performance Higher is better43
Pos.		201843
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
63	Armenia	62.1
64	Peru	61.9
65	Montenegro	61.3
66	Egypt	61.2
67	Lebanon	61.1
68	Macedonia	61.1
69	Brazil	60.7
70	Sri Lanka	60.6
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better41
Pos.		2022 Avg41
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
40	Guatemala	0.74
41	Togo	0.74
42	Romania	0.75
43	Egypt	0.76
44	El Salvador	0.79
45	Guinea	0.80
46	UK	0.80
47	Pakistan	0.81
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
69	Argentina	64%
70	Nicaragua	64%
71	Trinidad & Tobago	63%
72	Egypt	63%
73	Guyana	63%
74	Uganda	62%
75	Singapore	62%
76	Bolivia	62%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Egypt was amongst the first batch of countries who signed the Montreal Protocol on protecting the Ozone layer in 1988 whilst most others delayed until subsequent years.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better44
Pos.		2011 %44
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
92	Guinea	31.2%
93	Slovakia	31.1%
94	Guyana	30.1%
95	Egypt	30.1%
96	Macedonia	30.1%
97	Senegal	29.6%
98	Comoros	28.3%
99	Ireland	27.9%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better42
Pos.		2021 kg42
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
51	Tunisia	27.8
52	Sao Tome & Principe	28.3
53	Maldives	28.8
54	Egypt	29.1
55	Laos	29.8
56	Botswana	30.1
57	Nicaragua	31.5
58	Iran	31.6
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Green Future Index Higher is better45
Pos.		2023 Score45
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
57	Kuwait	4.1
58	Ethiopia	4.0
59	Angola	4.0
60	Egypt	4.0
61	Dominican Rep.	4.0
62	Peru	4.0
63	Turkey	3.8
64	Cameroon	3.8
	Africa Avg	4.0
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

7. Egypt's Modernity and Learning

#capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #education #egypt #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #life_expectancy #modernity #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religion #religiosity #religious_violence #research #science #secularisation #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)47
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank47
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
4	Seychelles	80.1
5	Egypt	80.5
6	Libya	82.0
7	Kenya	96.4
8	Botswana	96.5
9	Morocco	97.9
10	Algeria	100.2
11	Gabon	108.2
12	Uganda	109.8
13	Ghana	110.3
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)47
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank47
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
91=	Mauritius	79.6
92	St Vincent & Grenadines	80.0
93	Seychelles	80.1
94	Egypt	80.5
95	Libya	82.0
96	Lebanon	82.1
97	Bahamas	83.5
98	Dominica	84.0
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₈. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₈. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₉.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₀

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₈.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

The ruler of Egypt Muhammad 'Ali founded the Ministry of Education and state schools; but his successors reversed some of this progress. Between 1849 and 1854 'Abbas closed many state schools and cut funding for education and state-led infrastructure projects, as did Sa'id from then until 1863. Thankfully, Muhammad 'Ali's early efforts were valued, and from the mid 1860s public education expanded rapidly.₅₁. This, along with other modernist trends, empowered the Egyptian people to shed British rule and become a viable, coherent nation₅₂.

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2953
2	Israel	4.1153
3	Japan	3.5853
	...
46=	Serbia	0.7354
46=	Hong Kong	0.7355
48	Tunisia	0.6855
49=	Egypt	0.6854
50	Belarus	0.6754
51	Mali	0.6656
52	Bulgaria	0.6554
53	Ethiopia	0.6154
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better57
Pos.		201857
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
82	Mauritius	66.9%
83	Oman	66.4%
84	Jamaica	66.3%
85	Egypt	65.3%
86	Argentina	64.8%
87	Greece	64.8%
88	Guyana	63.3%
89	Ghana	63.1%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better58
Pos.		2021 Years58
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
87	Seychelles	13.9
88	Bulgaria	13.9
89	Bosnia & Herzegovina	13.8
90	Egypt	13.8
91	Indonesia	13.7
92	Swaziland	13.7
93	S. Africa	13.6
94	Macedonia	13.6
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
57	Guinea-Bissau	57
58	Central African Rep.	58
59	Kenya	59
60	Egypt	60
61	Japan	61
62	Malta	62
63	Ghana	63
64	Samoa	64
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Religiosity Lower is better59
Pos.		2018 %59
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
59=	Bolivia	71
59=	Botswana	71
61	Brazil	72
62=	Egypt	72
63	Algeria	73
64=	Peru	73
65	S. Africa	75
66=	Ecuador	76
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better60
Pos.		200660
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
94=	Lebanon	82
94=	Dominican Rep.	82
94=	Madagascar	82
97	Egypt	81
98=	Honduras	81
98=	Nicaragua	81
100	El Salvador	80
101=	Guatemala	79
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better61
Pos.		201661
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
126	Mongolia	36%
127	India	35%
128	Kyrgyzstan	34%
129	Egypt	33%
130	Cuba	32%
131	Micronesia	31%
132	Vanuatu	31%
133	Syria	30%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better62
Pos.		201262
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
31	Zimbabwe	54
32	Sri Lanka	55
33	Kazakhstan	58
34	Egypt	59
35	Thailand	61
36	Pakistan	63
37	Belarus	69
38=	Bahrain	71
	Africa Avg	45.0
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better63
Pos.		2017 Ratio63
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
53	Spain	0.6
54	St Kitts & Nevis	0.6
55	Nauru	0.5
56	Egypt	0.4
57	Mexico	0.4
58	Bhutan	0.4
59	China	0.3
60	Iceland	0.3
	Africa Avg	0.04
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better64
Pos.		202464
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
76	Ecuador	43.3%
77	Mauritius	42.9%
78	Jordan	42.6%
79	Egypt	42.5%
80	Panama	41.6%
81	Paraguay	41.2%
82	Tunisia	40.4%
83	Bangladesh	40.3%
	Africa Avg	32.3%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Egypt's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #egypt #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Africa (2020)65
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank65
1	Mauritius	48.3
2	Sao Tome & Principe	67.7
3	Tunisia	74.9
	...
16	Burkina Faso	93.2
17	Tanzania	93.3
18	Sierra Leone	93.4
19	Egypt	93.6
20	Mauritania	95.5
21	Liberia	95.9
22	Lesotho	96.4
23	Togo	97.0
24	Kenya	97.8
	Africa Avg	101.84
q=53.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)65
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank65
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
122	Burkina Faso	93.2
123	Tanzania	93.3
124	Sierra Leone	93.4
125	Egypt	93.6
126	Laos	95.5
127	Mauritania	95.5
128	Paraguay	95.5
129	Liberia	95.9
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

World Giving Index Higher is better66
Pos.		2022 %66
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
117	Laos	27.0
118	Portugal	26.0
119	Lebanon	24.0
120	Egypt	23.0
121	S. Korea	22.0
122=	Afghanistan	21.0
122=	Belgium	21.0
124	Japan	20.0
	Africa Avg	38.2
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better67
Pos.		2022 Points67
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
127	Laos	31.0
128=	Mexico	31.0
128=	Bolivia	31.0
130	Egypt	30.0
131=	Mauritania	30.0
131=	Togo	30.0
131=	Swaziland	30.0
131=	Djibouti	30.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

The concept of the Egyptian people as a coherent nation did not come easily, with various communities spread liberally across the region, many with no care for (or knowledge of) official political boundaries. This changed in the 19th-20th century₅₂. The Egyptian people grew into a self-aware nation as a result of modernist trends, in which transport, education, printing press outputs, and improving literacy led to popularist revolts that rejected British rule, revealed the corruption of self-interested rulers, and firmly established Egypt as a self-conscious nation as well as a state born with a desire to ₅₂.

But the bane of corruption was never dispelled very far from the centre. The 30-year rule of Mubarak was a sustained period of increasing corruption:

“The government of Hosni Mubarak was widely accused of subverting state structures to enrich a few top officials and their families. Mubarak's 'stationary bandits' were able to use the machinery of the state to amass vast personal and family wealth, while stifling the economic and human development of the country. The sale of much of the stated-owned enterprise sector in the mid-2000s, combined with corruption on an unprecedented scale and a set of economic policies benefitting a core pro-Mubarak faction of the Egyptian elite, and exacerbated inequality between the rich and the poor.”

"The Fifth Column: Understanding the relationship between corruption and conflict" by Transparency International (2017)₆₈

“The Mubarak era will be known as the era of thieves... his official business is the looting of public money... we find that the super-corrupt, ultra-delinquents have attained state posts.”

Mohammad Ghanam
Former head of an MOI investigative Unit, Egypt
In Transparency International (2017)₆₈

He was eventually imprisoned (along with his sons), and his remaining regime largely deposed by the 'Arab spring' protests of the early 2010s₆₈.

Happiness Higher is better69
Pos.		2024 Score69
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
132	Ethiopia	3.9
133	Sri Lanka	3.9
134	Bangladesh	3.9
135	Egypt	3.8
136	Tanzania	3.8
137	Swaziland	3.8
138	Lesotho	3.8
139	Comoros	3.8
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
120	Honduras	120
121	Tanzania	121
122	Zimbabwe	122
123	Egypt	123
124	Burkina Faso	124
125	Dominican Rep.	125
126	Oman	126
127	Mozambique	127
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
131	Kazakhstan	131
132	Bangladesh	132
133	Indonesia	133
134	Egypt	134
135	Uruguay	135
136	Namibia	136
137	Yemen	137
138	Cambodia	138
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better70
Pos.		2023 Score70
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
118	Mozambique	2.26
119	Saudi Arabia	2.26
120	Honduras	2.27
121	Egypt	2.27
122	El Salvador	2.28
123	Nicaragua	2.29
124=	Uganda	2.30
124=	Zimbabwe	2.30
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
4	Egypt	4
5	Nigeria	5
6	Uruguay	6
7	Indonesia	7
8	Brunei	8
9	Moldova	9
10	Morocco	10
11	Oman	11
12	Tanzania	12
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
117	Saudi Arabia	117
118	Lesotho	118
119	Oman	119
120	Egypt	120
121	Colombia	121
122	Honduras	122
123	Guinea	123
124	Congo, (Brazzaville)	124
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better71
Pos.		2019 Score71
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
137	Central African Rep.	6.62
138	Mali	6.65
139	Libya	6.77
140	Egypt	6.79
141	Congo, DR	7.04
142	Philippines	7.14
143	Yemen	7.26
144	India	7.52
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Mass education, literacy and populist outputs of the early printing press enabled a mass-self-awareness of the Egyptian peoples. In the 19th century a long series of widely popular satirical cartoons ridiculed the rich and the powerful, and drew attention to their abuses, resulting in a rising awareness of economic inequity and a much stronger civic voice criticizing it₇₂.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better73
Pos.		201973
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
91	St Vincent & Grenadines	11.30
92	Ecuador	11.50
93=	N. Korea	11.50
94	Egypt	11.60
95=	Panama	12.00
95=	Palestine	12.00
97	Solomon Islands	12.10
98	Cape Verde	12.20
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better74
Pos.		2023 %74
1	Slovakia	24.1%75
2	Slovenia	24.3%75
3	Belarus	24.4%76
	...
45	Canada	31.7%77
46=	Lebanon	31.8%78
46=	Estonia	31.8%75
48	Egypt	31.9%77
49	Mauritania	32.0%77
50	Seychelles	32.1%79
51	Vanuatu	32.3%77
52=	Germany	32.4%76
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better80
Pos.		2018 Severity80
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
28	Jamaica	.018
29	Paraguay	.019
30	Vietnam	.019
31	Egypt	.019
32	Colombia	.020
33	Philippines	.024
34	Mexico	.025
35	S. Africa	.025
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#atheism #belief #buddhism #christianity #egypt #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religion_in_egypt #religiosity #secularisation #USA

Religiosity (2018)59
Pos.		Lower is better %59
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
59=	Bolivia	71
59=	Botswana	71
61	Brazil	72
62=	Egypt	72
63	Algeria	73
64=	Peru	73
65	S. Africa	75
66=	Ecuador	76
66=	Costa Rica	76
68	Puerto Rico	77
69=	Malaysia	77
69=	Colombia	77
71	Dominican Rep.	78
72=	Iran	78
72=	Tunisia	78
74	Bangladesh	80
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)81
Pos.		Higher is better %81
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
114=	Kenya	0
114=	Ethiopia	0
114=	Afghanistan	0
114=	Egypt	0
114=	Liberia	0
114=	Libya	0
114=	Ivory Coast	0
114=	Pakistan	0
114=	Niger	0
114=	Saudi Arabia	0
114=	Rwanda	0
114=	Cameroon	0
114=	Philippines	0
114=	Kuwait	0
114=	Madagascar	0
114=	Nigeria	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₈₂:

Christian	5.1%
Muslim	94.9%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 100% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 72% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

• "Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 90%, Coptic 9%, other Christian 1%₈₃.

Egypt has a long, fascinating and rich religious history, with an influence that spread across Europe and Asia₈₄. Both the Sumerians and the Egyptians shared a lot of myth, folklore and religious ideas (including burial practices), developing these together or inheriting them from even older times₈₅. In the Persian empire (6th century BCE to the 4th century BCE), royal chariots were fronted with images of Egyptian gods and its soldiers wore Egyptian-style uniforms and adornments₈₄.

In the early 20th century (1919) there was a reasonable amount of religious tolerance and freedom. In public squares, coffee shops, and at al-'Azhar University, there were fertile and active places for religious debates between secularists, Muslims and Coptic Christians. They often intentionally portrayed a friendly and united front when faced with challenges - in particular against the British; conducting joint meetings at each others' houses; even Muslim women would deliver speeches at mosque and church meetings₈₆. But that time in history has ended, and Egypt's strict and intolerant forms of Islam became dominant, organized and powerful.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Discriminatory laws serve to restrict Christian churches from operating₂₉, and there is frequently violence against churches. When attacks occur, the government has sponsored "customary reconciliation" sessions rather than conduct criminal investigations and prosecutions against Muslims₂₉.

When it comes to religious freedom and persecution, sociologists Grim & Finke place Egypt into the worst category, along with just 13 other countries. In this category, severe restrictions on religious freedom and freedom of belief stem simultaneously from top-down pressure from government and institutionalized religion, and from bottom-up grassroots movements that often go even further than the government in harrassing those who do not believe the right things (2011)₈₇.The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₈₈, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Egypt states:

“The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. However, Article 98(f) of the country's penal code, as amended by law 147/2006, states that "whoever makes use of religion in propagating, either by words, in writing, or in any other means, extreme ideas for the purpose of inciting strife, ridiculing or insulting a heavenly religion or a sect following it, or damaging national unity" should be punished with between six months and five years imprisonment, and/or a fine between five hundred and one thousand pounds. The constitutional situation remains unclear and fluid with continuing political upheaval following the democratic revolution. There has been a marked increase in blasphemy charges in the past year directed at atheist and Coptic Christians, especially since the YouTube video "Innocence of Muslims" (produced by Coptic emigrants from Egypt) was publicized in the country.

Cases of Discrimination

On February 22nd, 2007 An Egyptian court sentenced a blogger, Abdel Kareem Soliman, to four years' prison for insulting Islam and the president. Soliman's trial was the first time that a blogger had been prosecuted in Egypt. He had used his web log to criticise the country's top Islamic institution, al-Azhar university and President Hosni Mubarak, whom he called a dictator.

On Oct. 27, 2007, blogger Kareem Amer was sentenced for Facebook posts deemed offensive to Islam, along with being seditious toward Hosni Mubarak. He was released on Nov. 17, 2010, upon which he was re-detained by security forces and allegedly tortured.

On Oct. 12, 2011, a court gave Ayman Yusef Mansur, 24, a three-year prison sentence with hard labor because he allegedly intentionally insulted the dignity of the Islamic religion with criticism on Facebook. The court did not make available what exactly Mansur posted on Facebook to draw the sentence.

In February 2012, a Christian school secretary named Makram Diab was sentenced to six years in prison for "insulting the Prophet Muhammad." A mob of 2,500 Muslims rallied outside the courthouse and demanded Diab be sentenced to death. Diab was apparently convicted on the testimony of Muslim colleagues, who stated he had made offensive remarks.

On 4 April 2012, An Egyptian court sentenced 17-year-old Christian boy, Gamal Abdou Massoud, to three years in jail for publishing cartoons on his Facebook page that "mocked" Islam and the Prophet Mohammad. Massoud was also accused of distributing some of his cartoons to his school friends in a village in the southern city of Assiut, home to a large Christian population. The child's court in Assiut sentenced Gamal Abdou Massoud to three years in prison "after he insulted Islam and published and distributed pictures that insulted Islam and its Prophet," the court said in a statement seen by Reuters. The cartoons, published by Massoud in December, had already prompted some Muslims to attack Christians, with several Christian houses burned and several people injured in the violence.

September 2012 also saw riots across Egypt over the YouTube video "Innocence of Muslims", which offended Muslims with its portrayal of the Prophet Mohammad. As a result, in November an Egyptian court convicted, in absentia, seven Coptic Christians, allegedly involved in the production of the movie, for "insulting the Islamic religion through participating in producing and offering a movie that insults Islam and its prophet." At the same time, the court convicted an American Christian pastor, Terry Jones, for burning the Qur'an on YouTube. All eight were sentenced to death, but they are all living abroad in countries that are not expected to extradite them to Egypt.

On September 14, 2012, during the riots over the "Innocence of Muslims", Alber Saber was arrested after a mob formed outside his home and demanded his arrest for insulting religion. Saber is a twenty-seven-year-old prominent activist for secular democracy in Egypt. Raised in a Coptic Christian household, Saber is an atheist who reportedly operates the Egyptian Atheists page on Facebook and has been a vocal critic of fundamentalist Islam. Saber was reportedly beaten after a prison guard announced his charges to others in Saber's cell. He faces between six months and five years in prison and/or a fine between five hundred and one thousand pounds. His trial is currently ongoing.

In late July 2012 a Coptic Christian teacher, Bishoy Kamel, 32, was arrested in the southern governorate of Sohag over an accusation that he posted images "insulting" to Islam on his Facebook page. Police were reported by al-Ahram newspaper as saying Kamel could be charged with blasphemy and would face up to five years in prison if convicted. The images he allegedly posted were cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohamed and Egypt's new President Mohamed Morsi. Mohamed Safwat, who filed the charges against Kamel, reportedly argued that that the teacher had also "insulted members of his own family." Kamel admitted to managing the Facebook page under investigation but denied the charges, claiming his account had been hacked. In September 2012 Kamel was sentenced to six years in prison for blasphemy

”

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₈₉

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Rights and Freedom in Egypt: 4.3. Freedom of Thought