By Ebi Kesiena
Despite decline in fertility rate, Health and Population Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said on Sunday, that Egypt ranks the 14th globally in terms of population size as its population is now estimated at 105 million.
The minister made the remarks during a press conference on preparations for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Egypt will host on September 5-8 in the New Administrative Capital.
The minister pointed out that the fertility rate dropped from 3.5 children per woman in 2014 to 2.8. However, the annual number of births is still high with 2.1 million, which has made the Egyptian population record around 105 million.
According to Ghaffar, the Egyptian state is eager for securing a decent life to citizens, noting that President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi was interested in resolving the overpopulation issue as it constituted an obstacle to accomplishing the needed development.
Speaking on the International Conference on Population and Development, he said decision makers at both regional and international levels as well as representatives of European institutions, entrepreneurs and pharmaceutical companies will attend the event, adding that the conference will provide a chance for researchers and decision makers to explore the dynamic relation between population, health and development.
He however noted that Egypt’s National Strategy for Population will be launched during the conference.
In June, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt had previously stated that the population increase had significantly impacted the country’s development efforts.
“We reached 40 million people during the era of the late President Anwar Sadat, then we became 80 million in 2011, and today we are 105 million,” al-Sisi said.
