CAPMAS: Population reaches 78.7 million in May 2008

Egypt State Information Service

Egypt's population until May 1, 2008 reached 78.7 million according to final results of this year's census as announced Thursday by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

Of the population 37.2 million are males, up 22.6 percent from the 30.4 million in 1996, and 35.6 million are females which is 22.9 percent more from their count in 1996 that was estimated at 29 million.

The number of families across Egypt stood at 17.3 million in 2006 from 12.7 million in 1996 with a 36.1 percent increase.

According to the 2006 census results, Cairo is Egypt's most populous governorate with 6.8 million at an increase rate of 9.28 percent, followed by Sharqiya governorate with 5.4 million, up 7.35 percent, then Dakahliya with 5 million at a rate of 6.85 percent.

The one just above it was El-Wadi El-Gadid, also known as the New Valley governorate, whose population count stood at 187,000 at an increase rate of 0.26 percent.

The population count was also carried out in the newly-established governorates of the Sixth of October whose population stood at 2.6 million, with an increase rate of 3.5 percent and Helwan whose population was 1.7 million with an increase of 2.4 percent.