- Metro population
- 23,074,000
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: cairo.gov.eg, macrotrends.net
Good to know
Good to Know
- Official Cairo Governorate population (~10.3 million as of 2024) differs significantly from Greater Cairo metropolitan area (~23 million). Most nomad/expat sources refer to metro-area figures when citing '20+ million' population.
- IOM estimate of ~9 million international migrants in Egypt (8.7% of national population) is far more reflective of actual foreign-resident presence than official census data, which captures only registered residents and formal immigrant status.
- Cairo hosts a thriving, growing tech ecosystem with major multinational presence; significant foreign venture capital activity; and government backing of startups. However, broader investment climate faces inflation (~17%), FX bottlenecks, and bureaucratic friction.
- Foreign expats/nomads cluster heavily in specific neighborhoods (Zamalek, Maadi, New Cairo, Sheikh Zayed, Heliopolis); these areas have distinct expat infrastructure including coworking spaces, international schools, and English-friendly services.
- Largest migrant groups (Sudanese, Syrian, Yemeni, Libyan) are primarily economic migrants and refugees rather than digital nomads; tech/business expat community (US, UK, European) is separately concentrated and more visa-privileged.
Ethnic Composition
- Egyptian
- Primary ethnic group; majority of population
- Historical Note
- Cairo historically had significant Greek, Armenian, Italian, Levantine Arab, and Jewish communities; most have declined in recent decades
Minorities
Nubians
- Location
- Primarily southern Egypt and Aswan; small presence in Cairo
Northern Sudanese
- Location
- Scattered communities
African Refugees
- Note
- From various sub-Saharan countries; small dispersed communities
Largest Foreign Nationalities
Sudanese
- Estimated Population
- 4000000
- Note
- Largest migrant group in Egypt overall
Syrian
- Estimated Population
- 1500000
- Note
- Significant contributor to labour market and local business
Yemeni
- Estimated Population
- 1000000
Libyan
- Estimated Population
- 1000000
American (United States)
- Note
- Among largest foreign communities in Cairo proper; primarily expats in education, diplomacy, business
British (United Kingdom)
- Note
- Among largest foreign communities in Cairo proper
Religious Composition
- Other
- Less than 1%
- Sunni Muslim
- 89%
- Coptic Orthodox Christian
- 10%
Digital Nomad Community
- Presence
- Active but small compared to city population; concentrated in Zamalek, Maadi, New Cairo, Sheikh Zayed
- Sourcing Note
- Difficult to quantify precisely; no official statistics available. Digital nomad visa announced as 'coming soon' as of 2025 but not yet official.
Foreign Born Percentage
- Percentage
- Approximately 0.3% (non-citizen foreigners per CIA World Factbook 2006 census)
- Note
- Official census data significantly undercounts unregistered migrants, refugees, and long-term visa residents; IOM estimate of 8.7% of total Egypt population is more realistic for broader foreign-resident population including unregistered
Business And Tech Presence
- Tech Hub Status
- Emerging regional tech hub with significant foreign investment
- Employment Sectors
- IT offshoring, customer experience (CX) services, software delivery, fintech, edtech, healthtech, e-commerce; Cairo home to major regional banking and media headquarters
- Tech Infrastructure
- Multiple coworking spaces, tech parks, accelerators (Falak Startups, Flat6Labs); tax-free remote tech services exports (as of 2025)
Startup Ecosystem
- Growth Rate
- 500% increase in startups over last 5 years
- Unicorn Potential
- Up to 5 Egyptian startups projected to reach unicorn status (>$1 billion valuation)
Notable Companies
- Swvl (mass transit)
- Fawry (e-payments)
- Vezeeta (healthtech)
- Instabug
- Yaoota
Global Tech Companies
- Microsoft
- Dell
- Amazon
- Accenture
- Capgemini
- Deloitte
- Luxoft
- PwC
- Siemens
Venture Capital Activity
- Recent Funding
- 2021: $491 million in venture capital; digital export revenues doubled from $2.4 billion (2022) to $4.8 billion (2025)
- Note
- Over 220 active venture investors in Egyptian market; major Cairo-based VCs include A15, Algebra Ventures, Cairo Angels, Egypt Ventures, Sawari Ventures, Endure Capital
Official Registered Population
- As Of
- July 2024
- Figure
- 10338508
- Source Type
- Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS)
- Note
- Cairo Governorate boundaries; broader metro area is significantly larger
Greater Cairo Metro Area Population
- Year
- 2025
- Figure
- 23074000
- Note
- Metropolitan area including suburbs and surrounding regions
Foreign Expat Residents Broader Estimate
Cairo Specific Estimate
- Note
- IOM indicates 56% of Egypt's 9 million international migrants live in five governorates (Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Damietta, Dakhaleya), with Cairo being the primary hub. Digital nomad community also present but difficult to quantify precisely due to visa-hopping and tourist-visa residency.
International Migrants Egypt Total
- Percentage Of Egypt Population
- 8.7%
- Year
- 2022
- Figure
- 9012582
- Estimate Basis
- International Organization for Migration (IOM)
- Note
- Most concentrated in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria; includes both registered and unregistered long-term residents, refugees, and migrant workers
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Cairo
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.