Foreign Workers in Egypt Decline by 7.2 Percent in 2025

The number of foreigners working in Egypt fell 7.2 percent last year, to 21,973 from 23,683 in 2024, according to an annual report released Sunday, 1 November, by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

The drop amounts to about 1,700 fewer foreign workers, and the report did not investigate a reason. Nearly all of the foreign workers, 21,462, were employed in the private and investment sector. Only 511 worked in government, the public sector or public business enterprises.

Europeans made up the largest group, at 10,260 workers, or 46.7 percent of the total. Non-Arab Asian countries followed with 6,801, or 31 percent. Oceania, which includes Australia and New Zealand, accounted for the fewest, at 122, or 0.6 percent.

By occupation, senior officials and managers were the largest category, with 7,386 people, or 33.6 percent. Specialists in scientific professions came next, with 5,435, 24.7 percent, followed by craftsmen and related workers, with 3,893, amounting to 17.7 percent.

The mix differed sharply by sector, whereas in government and the public sector, specialists led with 349 workers, or 68.3 percent of that sector’s foreign employees. Managers followed with 102 (20 percent), and craftsmen with 11, representing 2.1 percent.

The private sector mirrored the national pattern. Managers led with 7,284 workers, or 33.9 percent, followed by specialists with 5,086, 23.7 percent, and craftsmen with 3,882, representing 18.1 percent.

The reporting year also saw Egypt’s new labor law take effect on 1 September 2025, and, in October, a program offering foreign domestic workers annual work permits for EGP 2,500 (USD 45).