The Evolution of Social Protection in Egypt, 2006-2023

This paper examines the trends in social protection coverage in Egypt over the 2006-2023 period. The different forms of protection that we analyze include contributory social insurance schemes, employment-related pensions, non-contributory social-assistance cash transfers including temporary cash transfers due to COVID-19, and food ration cards. In addition to examining patterns of coverage, the paper considers the value of transfers and benefits, in as much as possible, to assess the importance of coverage in terms of how much beneficiaries of different programs receive. We examine coverage rates by different household characteristics such as household wealth quintile, head of household sex, household composition in terms of presence of children and elderly, head of household labor market status, and region. The paper frames these findings in terms of the overall approach to social protection and presents a commentary on the implications of these observed trends.