CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called for the implementation of measures aimed at slowing down the birthrate in Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous nation. President Sisi referenced China’s one-child policy as an example.
Egypt, with a population of 105 million, reported nearly 2.2 million births in 2022, making concerns about the birthrate a significant issue. President Sisi expressed the need to target approximately 400,000 births per year as a part of efforts to address this challenge.
The president’s remarks were made in response to comments made by his Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, who characterized having children as a matter of complete freedom.
Egyptian President Stresses Population Control Measures
President Sisi disagreed with this perspective, emphasizing the importance of organized measures to address the issue. He voiced concerns that leaving family planning solely to individual freedom might lead to unforeseen challenges and place a burden on both society and the Egyptian state, particularly during the current economic crisis, which is one of the most severe in the country’s history.
“We must organize this freedom; otherwise, it will create a catastrophe,” President Sisi cautioned.
The reference to China’s one-child policy, implemented in 1968, highlighted its role in successfully managing population control. It’s worth noting that in 2015, Beijing officially abandoned the one-child policy, permitting all married couples to have a second child.
