Egypt has maintained its position as North Africa’s leading entrepreneurship hub while boosting its global standing, according to a new edition of the Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC) series, Egypt in International Indicators: From Challenges to Achievements.
Egypt has climbed five places to rank 35th globally among 53 economies in the 2025/2026 Global Entrepreneurship Index, up from 40th in the previous edition, reflecting continued improvements in finance, infrastructure and cultural support for entrepreneurship, the report revealed.
The country has also advanced around 16 places over the past six years in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index, ranking 65th among 118 countries in 2026.
Cairo remains the country’s principal innovation hub, hosting around 90% of Egypt’s approximately 632 startups.
With a startup ecosystem valued at more than $1 billion, the capital recorded annual growth of 0.7% in 2025 and a startup density of around four companies per 100,000 people.
The IDSC attributed Egypt’s progress to its large domestic market, competitive and skilled workforce, advancing digital readiness, supportive government policies, growing entrepreneurial ambitions and increasing investment, particularly in fintech and transport.
The report also highlighted opportunities to strengthen regional entrepreneurship, expand advisory and financial services, enhance business incubation, and increase access to seed and venture capital.
The report reviewed key government measures supporting entrepreneurship, including Law No. 152 of 2020, expanded financing for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), dedicated banking services, land and procurement incentives, programmes supporting women entrepreneurs, and investments exceeding LE300 billion in women’s development between 2020/2021 and 2024/2025.
It also highlighted the role of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, technology incubators, the MOYS Sports Technology Business Incubator, the Creative initiative, the Digital Egypt Pioneers initiative, and the Ministerial Group for Entrepreneurship established under Prime Ministerial Decree No. 2878 of 2024.
Looking ahead, the IDSC outlined priorities to foster entrepreneurship education, support up to 5,000 startups, create around 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, attract $5 billion in venture capital, encourage innovation-driven enterprises, reduce brain drain, and advance Egypt’s Vision 2030 by strengthening links between scientific research, innovation and MSME development to promote sustainable economic growth.
