Social Protection Landscape and Perspectives

Over the last decade, the social protection system in Egypt has become more comprehensive. Social Insurance Law No. 148/2019 aligned contributory social protection schemes with life-cycle risks for the working-age population. The Government has placed significant emphasis on social protection in its Sustainable Development Strategy: Egypt Vision 2030 agenda and other national strategies. Developing a national social protection framework is critical to shaping a comprehensive vision for the sector. To enhance integration at the institutional level, the Ministerial Committee for Social Justice should be strengthened. While national discourse suggests that the Government has taken an adaptive approach to social protection, recent stimulus measures reflect a reactive approach. Future strategies should consider the shock-responsiveness of the social protection system in Egypt. Only a third of the population in Egypt is covered by at least one social protection benefit, and just 47 per cent of the country’s economically active population is covered by a social insurance pension scheme. The Government recognises the importance of expanding social protection schemes, having more than doubled the nominal spending on the sector over the last decade. However, in real terms, spending has almost halved between 2013/14 and 2023/24. As a percentage of GDP, spending has also declined over the same period.