Egypt has the largest population in the MENA region and is also home to a relatively young population; this is true even compared to other Arab countries, which is a region that is generally viewed as a youthful part of the world.
The Median age for Egypt’s population is 23.9, and 76% of Egyptians are under the age of 40.
Meanwhile, 74% of Saudi Arabia’s population is under 40, as of 2022; and more than 90% of UAE’s population is under the age of 54, however the largest Emirate of Dubai has 74% of its population under the age of 40.
In contrast, the aging population of Japan shows that only 37% of Japan’s population is under 40 and 48% of Canada’s population is under 40 (as of 2021).
The difference is also noted in median age, where countries like Canada (40.2), Japan (48.4) and the United States (37.7) have median age of 35 and above, while the majority of MENA countries have populations with a median age of 35 and below.
Investing in Egypt’s Startup Ecosystem
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises contribute over 40% to Egypt’s economy, and account for over 75% of the country’s total employment. Entrepreneurship is critical to Egypt’s future. Today, Egypt consistently ranks as a top 3 tech startup ecosystem in both the MENA and Africa regions, based on funds raised by local startups. In this special report, we speak to the most active investors in Egypt and cover some of the country’s most successful startups to give you an inside scoop on how they are navigating the current VC winter, inflationary pressures and currency devaluation woes.