Subdivisions of Egypt
Egypt is has a "dual system" for organizing their administrative divisions. Egypt can either have 2 or 3 subdivisions. There can also sometimes be more subdivisions in some areas. Egypt has a centralized local government. This local government is called the "local administration". The local administrative is part of Egypt's executive branch of the government.[1]
Egyptian has governorates, centers, cities, districts, and villages. Each of these divisions can make their own administrative decisions.[2] Some governorates are split into 2 divisions. Other governorates are split into 3 divisions.[3]
There are 27 governorates (singular: محافظة muḥāfẓa, plural: محافظات muḥāfẓat) in Egypt.[4] Each governorate has a capital. This capital is led by a governor. The President of Egypt chooses the governors.
Governors report to the prime minister. The prime minister leads the Council of Governors (maglis al-muhafzin).[5][6] The Ministry of Local Development makes the budgets for governorates and coordinates the governors.[7]
List of governorates
[change | change source]
Egypt is divided into 27 governorates (muhāfazāt).[8] Each governorate is run by a governor. Most governorates have a population density of more than one thousand per km2. The 3 largest governorates have a population density of less than 2 people per km2.[9]
| Governorates[10][11] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Area | Population (November 2023 estimate) |
Density (November 2023) |
Capital | ||
| km2 | sq mi | per km2 | per sq mi | |||
| 2,300 | 890 | 5,703,824 | 2,480 | 6,400 | Alexandria | |
| 62,726 | 24,219 | 1,698,201 | 27 | 70 | Aswan | |
| 25,926 | 10,010 | 5,071,485 | 196 | 510 | Asyut | |
| 9,826 | 3,794 | 6,940,234 | 706 | 1,830 | Damanhur | |
| 10,954 | 4,229 | 3,618,395 | 330 | 850 | Beni Suef | |
| 3,085 | 1,191 | 10,456,284 | 3,389 | 8,780 | Cairo | |
| 3,538 | 1,366 | 7,058,212 | 1,995 | 5,170 | Mansoura | |
| 910 | 350 | 2,023,380 | 2,223 | 5,760 | Damietta | |
| 6,068 | 2,343 | 4,141,222 | 682 | 1,770 | Faiyum | |
| 1,942 | 750 | 5,483,000 | 2,823 | 7,310 | Tanta | |
| 13,184 | 5,090 | 9,534,283 | 723 | 1,870 | Giza | |
| 5,067 | 1,956 | 1,482,999 | 293 | 760 | Ismailia | |
| 3,467 | 1,339 | 3,731,540 | 1,076 | 2,790 | Kafr El Sheikh | |
| 460 | 180 | 1,429,385 | 3,107 | 8,050 | Luxor | |
| 166,563 | 64,310 | 580,304 | 3 | 7.8 | Marsa Matruh | |
| 32,279 | 12,463 | 6,332,918 | 196 | 510 | Minya | |
| 2,499 | 965 | 4,743,341 | 1,898 | 4,920 | Shibin El Kom | |
| 440,098 | 169,923 | 324,600 | 0.7 | 1.8 | Kharga | |
| 28,992 | 11,194 | 544,494 | 19 | 49 | Arish | |
| 1,345 | 519 | 835,193 | 621 | 1,610 | Port Said | |
| 1,124 | 434 | 6,137,896 | 5,461 | 14,140 | Banha | |
| 10,798 | 4,169 | 3,651,215 | 338 | 880 | Qena | |
| 119,099 | 45,984 | 409,394 | 3 | 7.8 | Hurghada | |
| 4,911 | 1,896 | 8,032,683 | 1,636 | 4,240 | Zagazig | |
| 11,022 | 4,256 | 5,714,903 | 518 | 1,340 | Sohag | |
| 31,272 | 12,074 | 145,934 | 5 | 13 | El Tor | |
| 9,002 | 3,476 | 843,385 | 94 | 240 | Suez | |
| Total | 1,010,407 | 390,120 | 106,668,704 | 106 | 270 | Cairo |
List of municipal divisions
[change | change source]Parts of this article (those related to List of municipal divisions) need to be updated. The reason given is: Needs updating to reflect the new system introduced in 2014, without aqsam. (March 2025) |

As of 2013, there were 351 subdivisions. There are 177 qisms, 162 marakiz, 9 new cities, and 3 police-administered areas. There are also some unorganized areas.[13]
| Qism | Markaz | New city | Police-administered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th of October 1 | Abnub | New Akhmim | Alexandria Port Police Dept. |
| 6th of October 2 | Abu El Matamir | New Aswan | Port Said Police Dept. |
| 10th of Ramadan 1 | Abu Hammad | New Asyut | Suez Port Police Dept. |
| 10th of Ramadan 2 | Abu Hummus | New Borg El Arab | |
| 15th of May | Abu Kebir | New Faiyum | |
| Abdeen | Abu Qirqas | New Minya | |
| Abu Radis | Abu Simbel | New Qena | |
| Abu Zenima | Abu Tig | New Sohag | |
| Agouza | Abu Tisht | New Toshka | |
| Ain Shams | Aga | ||
| Amreya | Akhmim | ||
| Arish 1 | Armant | ||
| Arish 2 | Ashmoun | ||
| Arish 3 | Aswan | ||
| Arish 4 | Asyut | ||
| Aswan | Atfih | ||
| Asyut 1 | Awlad Saqr | ||
| Asyut 2 | Awsim | ||
| Ataka | Badr | ||
| Azbakeya | Banha | ||
| Bab El Sharia | Baris Shurta | ||
| Bab Sharq | Basyoun | ||
| Badr | Beni Ebeid | ||
| Banha | Beni Mazar | ||
| Beni Suef | Beni Suef | ||
| Bir El Abd | Biba | ||
| Borg El Arab | Bilbeis | ||
| Bulaq | Bilqas | ||
| Bulaq El Dakrur | Birket El Sab | ||
| Dahab | Biyala | ||
| Damanhur | Burullus | ||
| Damietta 1 | Dairut | ||
| Damietta 2 | Damanhur | ||
| Dekhela | Damietta | ||
| Desouk | Dar El Salam | ||
| Dokki | Daraw | ||
| El Ahram | Deir Mawas | ||
| El Arab | Dekernes | ||
| El Arbein | Desouk | ||
| El Atareen | Dishna | ||
| El Basal Port | Diyarb Negm | ||
| El Basatin | Edfu | ||
| El Dabaa | Edku | ||
| El Darb El Ahmar | El Ayyat | ||
| El Dawahy | El Badari | ||
| El Gamaliya | El Badrashein | ||
| El Ganayin | El Bagour | ||
| El Gomrok | El Balyana | ||
| El Hamam | El Delengat | ||
| El Hassana | El Fashn | ||
| El Hawamdiya | El Fath | ||
| El Kawsar | El Gamaliya | ||
| El Khalifa | El Ghanayem | ||
| El Labban | El Hamool | ||
| El Manakh | El Husseiniya | ||
| El Manasra | El Ibrahimiya | ||
| El Mansheya | El Idwa | ||
| El Marg | El Mahalla El Kubra | ||
| El Matareya | El Mahmoudia | ||
| El Muski | El Mansha | ||
| El Nozha | El Manzala | ||
| El Omraniya | El Maragha | ||
| El Qanayat | El Matareya | ||
| El Qantara El Sharqiya | El Qanater El Khayreya | ||
| El Qoseir | El Qantara | ||
| El Qurein | El Qusiya | ||
| El Raml 1 | El Rahmaniya | ||
| El Raml 2 | El Reyad | ||
| El Salam | El Saff | ||
| El Sayeda Zeinab | El Santa | ||
| El Segil | El Senbellawein | ||
| El Sharabiya | El Shohada | ||
| El Sharq | El Usayrat | ||
| El Shorouk | El Waqf | ||
| El Tebbin | El Wasta | ||
| El Tor | El Zarqa | ||
| El Wahat El Bahariya | Esna | ||
| El Wahat El Khariga | Faiyum | ||
| El Warraq | Faqous | ||
| El Weili | Faraskur | ||
| El Zaher | Farshut | ||
| El Zawya El Hamra | Fayed | ||
| El Zohur | Fuwa | ||
| Faisal | Girga | ||
| Faiyum | Giza | ||
| Faqous | Hihya | ||
| Gamasa | Hosh Essa | ||
| Ganoubi 1 | Ibsheway | ||
| Ganoubi 2 | Ihnasiya | ||
| Gharb Nubariya | Imbaba | ||
| Girga | Ismailia | ||
| Giza | Itay El Barud | ||
| Hada'iq El Qobbah | Itsa | ||
| Hala'ib | Juhayna El Gharbiyah | ||
| Heliopolis | Kafr El Dawwar | ||
| Helwan | Kafr El Sheikh | ||
| Hurghada | Kafr El Zayat | ||
| Hurghada 2 | Kafr Saad | ||
| Imbaba | Kafr Saqr | ||
| Ismailia 1 | Kafr Saad | ||
| Ismailia 2 | Kerdasa | ||
| Ismailia 3 | Khanka | ||
| Kafr El Dawwar | Kom Hamada | ||
| Kafr El Sheikh | Kom Ombo | ||
| Karmoz | Kotoor | ||
| Khusus | Luxor | ||
| Luxor | Maghaghah | ||
| Maadi | Mahallat Dimna | ||
| Mallawi | Mallawi | ||
| Mansoura 1 | Manfalut | ||
| Mansoura 2 | Mansoura | ||
| Marina El Alamein | Mashtool El Souk | ||
| Marsa Alam | Matay | ||
| Menouf | Menouf | ||
| Mersa Matruh | Metoubes | ||
| Minya | Minya | ||
| Mit Ghamr | Minya El Qamh | ||
| Moharam Bek | Minyet El Nasr | ||
| Monshat El Nasr | Mit Ghamr | ||
| Montaza | Mit Salsil | ||
| Mubarak Sharq El Tafrea | Nabaroh | ||
| Nasr City 1 | Nag Hammadi | ||
| Nasr City 2 | Naqada | ||
| New Beni Suef | Nasir Bush | ||
| New Cairo 1 | Nasr | ||
| New Cairo 2 | Qena | ||
| New Cairo 3 | Qift | ||
| New Damietta | Quesna | ||
| New Salhia | Qus | ||
| North Coast | Rosetta | ||
| North Coast | Sadat City | ||
| Nuweiba | Sahil Salim | ||
| Obour | Samalut | ||
| Old Cairo | Samanoud | ||
| Port Fuad | Saqultah | ||
| Port Fuad 2 | Shibin El Kom | ||
| Qaha | Shibin El Qanatir | ||
| Qalyub | Shirbin | ||
| Qasr El Nil | Shubrakhit | ||
| Qena | Shurtet El Dakhla | ||
| Rafah | Shurtet Farafra | ||
| Ras El Bar | Sidfa | ||
| Ras Gharib | Sidi Salem | ||
| Ras Sidr | Sinnuris | ||
| Rod El Farag | Sohag | ||
| Safaga | Sumusta El Waqf | ||
| Saint Catherine | Tahta | ||
| Sallum | Tala | ||
| Sers El Lyan | Talkha | ||
| Shalateen | Tamiya | ||
| Sharm El Sheikh | Tanta | ||
| Sheikh Zayed | Tell El Kebir | ||
| Sheikh Zuweid | Tima | ||
| Shibin El Kom | Timay El Imdid | ||
| Shubra | Tukh | ||
| Shubra El Kheima 1 | Wadi El Natrun | ||
| Shubra El Kheima 2 | Yousef El Seddik | ||
| Shurtet El Qasima | Zagazig | ||
| Shurtet Rumana | Zefta | ||
| Siwa | |||
| Sohag 1 | |||
| Sohag 2 | |||
| Suez | |||
| Taba | |||
| Tahta | |||
| Tanta 1 | |||
| Tanta 2 | |||
| Tura | |||
| Zagazig 1 | |||
| Zagazig 2 | |||
| Zamalek | |||
| Zeitoun |
Demographics
[change | change source]Parts of this article (those related to Demographics) need to be updated. The reason given is: Needs updating to 2017 census. (December 2022) |
Urbanization
[change | change source]| CAPMAS[10] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governorate | % Urban | Population (2016) | Rural | Urban |
| Alexandria | 98.8 | 4,812,186 | 56,698 | 4,755,488 |
| Aswan | 42.3 | 1,431,488 | 826,543 | 604,945 |
| Asyut | 26.5 | 4,245,215 | 3,119,112 | 1,126,103 |
| Beheira | 19.5 | 5,804,262 | 4,674,346 | 1,129,916 |
| Beni Suef | 23.2 | 2,856,812 | 2,193,871 | 662,941 |
| Cairo | 100.0 | 9,278,441 | 0 | 9,278,441 |
| Dakahlia | 28.2 | 5,949,001 | 4,271,428 | 1,677,573 |
| Damietta | 38.7 | 1,330,843 | 815,244 | 515,599 |
| Faiyum | 22.5 | 3,170,150 | 2,456,368 | 713,782 |
| Gharbia | 30.0 | 4,751,865 | 3,324,630 | 1,427,235 |
| Giza | 58.6 | 7,585,115 | 3,138,310 | 4,446,805 |
| Ismailia | 45.4 | 1,178,641 | 643,778 | 534,863 |
| Kafr El Sheikh | 23.1 | 3,172,753 | 2,441,246 | 731,507 |
| Luxor | 37.8 | 1,147,058 | 713,422 | 433,636 |
| Matruh | 70.6 | 447,846 | 131,841 | 316,005 |
| Minya | 18.9 | 5,156,702 | 4,183,284 | 973,418 |
| Monufia | 20.6 | 3,941,293 | 3,128,460 | 812,833 |
| New Valley | 48.0 | 225,416 | 117,180 | 108,236 |
| North Sinai | 60.2 | 434,781 | 173,095 | 261,686 |
| Port Said | 100.0 | 666,599 | 0 | 666,599 |
| Qalyubia | 44.7 | 5,105,972 | 2,825,045 | 2,280,927 |
| Qena | 19.7 | 3,045,504 | 2,445,051 | 600,453 |
| Red Sea | 95.1 | 345,775 | 17,062 | 328,713 |
| Sharqia | 23.1 | 6,485,412 | 4,987,707 | 1,497,705 |
| Sohag | 21.4 | 4,603,861 | 3,618,543 | 985,318 |
| South Sinai | 51.1 | 167,426 | 81,924 | 85,502 |
| Suez | 100.0 | 622,859 | 0 | 622,859 |
| Total | 42.7 | 87,963,276 | 50,384,188 | 37,579,088 |
Population density
[change | change source]| CAPMAS[10] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governorate | Population in thousands (2014-07-01) | Pop. Density (Inhabited Area) | Pop. Density (Total Area) | % Inhabited to Total | Inhabited Area | Total Area |
| Alexandria | 4,761 | 2,841.5 | 2,070.0 | 72.8 | 1,675.50 | 2,300.00 |
| Aswan | 1,412 | 13,477.1 | 22.5 | 0.2 | 104.77 | 62,726.00 |
| Asyut | 4,181 | 2,656.3 | 161.3 | 6.1 | 1,574.00 | 25,926.00 |
| Beheira | 5,720 | 806.3 | 582.1 | 72.2 | 7,093.84 | 9,826.00 |
| Beni Suef | 2,812 | 2,053.4 | 256.7 | 12.5 | 1,369.41 | 10,954.00 |
| Cairo | 9,184 | 48,235.3 | 2,976.8 | 6.2 | 190.40 | 3,085.12 |
| Dakahlia | 5,881 | 1,662.1 | 1,662.1 | 100.0 | 3,538.23 | 3,538.23 |
| Damietta | 1,316 | 1,968.7 | 1,445.7 | 73.4 | 668.47 | 910.26 |
| Faiyum | 3,118 | 1,680.0 | 513.8 | 30.6 | 1,856.00 | 6,068.00 |
| Gharbia | 4,698 | 2,418.7 | 2,418.7 | 100.0 | 1,942.34 | 1,942.34 |
| Giza | 7,487 | 6,286.3 | 567.9 | 9.0 | 1,191.00 | 13,184.00 |
| Ismailia | 1,162 | 229.3 | 229.3 | 100.0 | 5,066.97 | 5,066.97 |
| Kafr El Sheikh | 3,132 | 903.5 | 903.5 | 100.0 | 3,466.69 | 3,466.69 |
| Luxor | 1,132 | 4,992.7 | 469.8 | 9.4 | 226.73 | 2,409.68 |
| Matruh | 437 | 111.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 3,921.40 | 166,563.00 |
| Minya | 5,076 | 2,104.8 | 157.3 | 7.5 | 2,411.65 | 32,279.00 |
| Monufia | 3,890 | 1,596.9 | 1,556.6 | 97.5 | 2,435.93 | 2,499.00 |
| New Valley | 222 | 205.1 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1,082.24 | 440,098.00 |
| North Sinai | 428 | 203.7 | 14.8 | 7.2 | 2,100.84 | 28,992.00 |
| Port Said | 660 | 499.7 | 490.7 | 98.2 | 1,320.68 | 1,344.96 |
| Qalyubia | 5,044 | 4,702.1 | 4,486.4 | 95.4 | 1,072.72 | 1,124.28 |
| Qena | 3,001 | 1,724.1 | 277.9 | 16.1 | 1,740.63 | 10,798.00 |
| Red Sea | 341 | 4,794.0 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 71.13 | 119,099.13 |
| Sharqia | 6,402 | 1,343.7 | 1,303.6 | 97.0 | 4,764.28 | 4,911.00 |
| Sohag | 4,536 | 2,845.8 | 411.5 | 14.5 | 1,593.92 | 11,022.00 |
| South Sinai | 166 | 9.9 | 5.3 | 53.7 | 16,791.00 | 31,272.00 |
| Suez | 615 | 68.3 | 68.3 | 100.0 | 9,002.21 | 9,002.21 |
| Total | 86,814 | 1109.1 | 85.9 | 7.8 | 78272.98 | 1010407.87 |
Related pages
[change | change source]References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Law 43/1979". The Official Gazette. 1979. Archived from the original on 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ↑ "نظام الإدارة المحلية". State Information Service. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2025-06-01. |access date=12 March 2025}
- ↑ "The LA Structure in Egypt". Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ↑ "Governorates of Egypt". ARE Presidency. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
- ↑ "The Cabinet - Governors' Meetings". 2020-02-28. Archived from the original on 2020-02-28. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
- ↑ "Local Administration". State Information Service (SIS). Archived from the original on 2025-06-01. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ↑ "About the Ministry". Ministry of Local Development. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
- ↑ "Governorates of Egypt". Statoids. Archived from the original on 14 October 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ↑ "Inhabited Population Density By Governorate 1/7/2014" (PDF). CAPMAS Egyptian Figures 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Egypt in Figures 2015" (PDF). CAPMAS. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-10-19. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
- ↑ "Egypt in Figures-Census 2019 - 201937112036_2019 سكان.pdf".
- ↑ "Seat of a first-order administrative division". Geonames. Archived from the original on 20 January 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- ↑ Law, Gwillim (November 23, 1999). Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 Through 1998. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-6097-7. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ↑ "Egypt Markazes". Statoids. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
Other websites
[change | change source]- Ministry of Local Development
- Ministry of Local Development (Archived defunct website 2006-2017)
- "Know Your Government", Tadamun Initiative
- Census Data and Maps (1996, 2006, 2017)
- Egypt Administrative Divisions Map, The University of Texas at Austin Library
- History of administrative divisions in Egypt since the French Invasion Archived 2013-05-25 at the Wayback Machine (in Arabic)