In a nutshell:
- International emigration has been a key aspect of Egyptian economy since the 1970s.
- Since March 2022, Egypt has faced a major economic crisis, leading to severe impacts on food inflation and thus on living standards.
- This recent economic crisis has driven more Egyptians to emigrate, and fewer emigrants to return.
- The profile of migrants has also changed, with an increasing share of migrants with no or low education and a significant rise in those with precarious labor market statuses prior to migration.
- The share of households receiving remittances increased in 2023 compared to in 2018. However, there was a substantial decline in the use of banks and official channels for sending money, with only 52 percent of remittances sent through these official channels in 2023, down from 68 percent in 2018, and a larger share of remittances were sent through friends and family.
Authors
Anda David
Research Officer with the Research and Development...
Research Fellows
Jackline Wahba
Professor of Economics, University of Southampton, UK...
Authors
Rawane Yasser
Researcher, Agence Française de Développement (AFD)