Egypt’s population nears 100 million

Sitting in her sister’s apartment on a Cairo street, Rania Sayed one day hopes to leave a city that is becoming more congested as Egypt’s population ticks up to 100 million, a milestone it will pass next month. Like many others, she wants to move to one of the new satellite settlements being built for a booming population whose rapid growth President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has identified as one of Egypt’s biggest challenges alongside terrorism.

“I want to move them [her two children] to a place where people have better mentalities, where there is education,” said the 36-year-old resident of the Ard al-Lewa district, where rows of apartment blocks rise above dusty, unpaved streets.

“Unfortunately, things are very difficult in places like this ... so I hope to be able to live to a good social standard.”

Egypt’s 100 millionth person is expected to be clocked up on the official statistics agency’s digital counter in central Cairo in February.