ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL6.GCP/2025/TP.1/Policy brief
Country: Arab region, Arab Republic of Egypt
Publication Type: Policy briefs
Cluster: Governance and Conflict Prevention
Focus Area: Governance & enabling environment, Inclusive development, Technology & innovation
Initiatives: Development challenges, Governance and institution building, Addressing multidimensional poverty, Monitoring money-metric poverty, Digital Development , Technology Centre
SDGs: Goal 1: No Poverty, Goal 4: Quality Education, Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Keywords: Administrative reform, Arab countries, Comparative analysis, Development indicators, Digital technology, Educational quality, Egypt, Environmental quality, Food security, Governance, Human development, Income distribution, Policy making, Poverty, Recommendations, Resilience, Social groups, Sustainable development, Technical cooperation, Water management
The State of Development in Egypt: A Global Comparative Analysis Policy Brief
May 2025
This report assesses the development situation in Egypt using a new GDI designed by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. The index undertakes assessments and provides policy conclusions based on dynamic comparisons with a large number of countries, evaluating performance in three broad areas: quality-adjusted human development, environmental sustainability and governance. The main finding is that, despite progress since the beginning of the millennium, Egypt has reached a low level of human development achievements, with the governance dimension constituting the area in greatest need of improvement.
This report presents key policy recommendations under three primary themes: increasing government effectiveness, enhancing water and food security, and bolstering economic resilience. To enhance governance in Egypt, it is essential to rethink the role of the State and to reform public institutions. Innovative solutions are required to enhance water and food security. This can be achieved by leveraging technological advancements to address the effects of urbanization, population growth and climate change on water and food resources. To enhance economic resilience, the low pass-through rate between national economic growth and household income growth must be addressed. This involves implementing policies that emphasize structural transformation and expanding industries capable of generating decent and sustainable employment opportunities.
Related content
Governance & enabling environment
, Inclusive development
, Technology & innovation
,
This report assesses the development situation in Egypt using a new GDI designed by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. The index undertakes assessments and provides policy conclusions based on dynamic comparisons with a large number of countries, evaluating performance in three broad areas: quality-adjusted human development, environmental sustainability and governance. The main finding is that, despite progress since the beginning of the millennium, Egypt has reached a low level of human development achievements, with the governance dimension constituting the area in greatest need of improvement.
This report presents key policy recommendations under three primary themes: increasing government effectiveness, enhancing water and food security, and bolstering economic resilience. To enhance governance in Egypt, it is essential to rethink the role of the State and to reform public institutions. Innovative solutions are required to enhance water and food security. This can be achieved by leveraging technological advancements to address the effects of urbanization, population growth and climate change on water and food resources. To enhance economic resilience, the low pass-through rate between national economic growth and household income growth must be addressed. This involves implementing policies that emphasize structural transformation and expanding industries capable of generating decent and sustainable employment opportunities.
