10 answers, 4 from Egypt's own official bodies, with a link to each figure.
79.5% of Egyptians aged 15 and over could read and write in 2022, according to the World Bank World Development Indicators, which use UNESCO data. The series shows 82.1% in 2021 and 71.2% in 2017.
Adult literacy figures come from different surveys in different years, so changes from one year to the next partly reflect differences in method. CAPMAS publishes illiteracy rates from the census and labour force surveys.
Egypt has 129 universities, according to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The ministry also lists 147 university hospitals, 208 private higher institutes and 11 research institutes.
Gross tertiary enrolment was 38.0% in 2025, according to the World Bank, meaning the number of students in higher education was equal to 38% of the population of university age.
Gross secondary school enrolment in Egypt was 84.8% in 2024, up from 79.7% in 2020, according to the World Bank World Development Indicators.
The gross rate divides all secondary students by the population of secondary age, so it can be affected by students who are older or younger than the official age. Secondary education includes general and technical tracks; the Thanaweya Amma exam at the end of general secondary school decides university places. The Ministry of Education publishes exam results and school statistics, but its site blocked automated access on 15 October 2026.
Egypt's budget for fiscal year 2026/27 includes additional financial incentives for employees in the education and health sectors, on top of a rise in the government minimum wage to EGP 8,000 a month from EGP 7,000, according to the Central Bank of Egypt Monetary Policy Report for Q2 2026.
Together these measures raise the government's wage bill by almost 21%. The report does not give the size of the education incentive; the Ministry of Finance publishes the budget detail on its website.
The figures below use one definition for every country, so they can differ from national figures.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts net primary school enrolment in Egypt at 97.0% in 2018. Since 2005 it has ranged from 88.2% (2006) to 98.5% (2012). Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan median: 94.1%; Egypt is 3rd highest of 11. Worldwide: 10th of 69.
The latest figure from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, for 2024, is 84.8%. It is the top of the series, which starts in 2009. Across Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan the middle value was 95.1%, and Egypt placed 10th highest of 13. Of 100 countries with 2024 data, 75th highest.
38.0%: that is gross tertiary enrolment in Egypt for 2025, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. The peak was 38.8% in 2020 and the low 25.6% in 2011.
The latest figure from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, for 2022, is 79.5%. The peak was 82.1% in 2021 and the low 66.4% in 2006. It is 5th highest of 5 in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, where the median is 97.3%. Of 44 countries with 2022 data, 30th highest.
In 2018, the number of primary pupils per teacher in Egypt was 24, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Since 2005 it has ranged from 23 (2016) to 28 (2010). Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan median: 19; Egypt is 6th highest of 13. World rank, highest first: 37th of 85.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the primary completion rate in Egypt was 98.2% in 2024. That is the highest since at least 2005. It is 4th highest of 11 in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, where the median is 97.0%. Worldwide: 38th of 104.
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