the past few decades, and at the same time, the birthrate—a
reflection of how many children Egyptians are choosing to
have—has been falling. So, while Egypt’s population is very
large and continues to grow, the rate of growth has slowed.
In 1985, the population was growing at an annual rate of
2.7 percent. At that rate, the country’s population would have
doubled in 27 years. In 2007, though, the population growth
rate had dropped to 1.7 percent. If that rate continues, the
country’s population will be nearly 100 million by 2030. This is
an improvement in a relatively poor country with limited agri-
cultural and other resources. But the sheer number of people
added to the population every year is of much concern. In
2006, there were nearly 40 million more Egyptians, a staggering
63 percent more, than in 1985.