•    Population - 83,688,164 (July 2012 est.)
•    Life expectancy – 73
•    Median age – 24
•    Literacy - 71.4%
•    Unemployment – 12% (25% among youth)
•    20% below poverty line
•    Inflation – 13%

While Egypt has seen strong economic growth in recent years, living conditions for the average Egyptian remain poor. Despite recent government increases in social spending, widespread discontent and political uncertainty continues. Economic growth has slowed significantly, with tourism, manufacturing, and construction among the hardest hit sectors of the Egyptian economy.

Origins: MEDA's programming in Egypt began through a collaborative project with Partners in Technology Exchange, supporting microfinance institutions and NGOs to improve working conditions and learning opportunities for working children in three regions of the country.

MEDA's first project in Egypt was PPIC-Work (Promoting and Protecting the Interests of Children Who Work). Knowledge and tools developed under this project have been instrumental in forming a series of financial and non-financial interventions with working youth under the Youthlnvest project, now in progress in Egypt and Morocco. MEDA also has provided technical assistance to development projects seeking to integrate a value chain approach in Egypt.