China and Egypt
Infrastructure, industry and financial cooperation connect China and Egypt. The comprehensive strategic partnership dates back to 2014. The 2024 statement identifies specific transport, industrial-zone and space cooperation projects, with activities distinct from annual trade.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Ten years of strategic partnership
The statement on the May 2024 visit recalled the start of the comprehensive strategic partnership in 2014.
Transport and industrial development
The text identifies Chinese participation in the new administrative capital's business district, rail transport and the TEDA industrial zone linked to the Suez Canal.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 20,799.71 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Goods: China to Egypt | 19,979.17 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Goods: Egypt to China | 820.54 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: China to Egypt | 0.53 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Export share: Egypt to China | ||
| Investment stock: China in Egypt | ||
| Investment stock: Egypt in China |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: China to Egypt
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Egypt to China
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: China to Egypt
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods share: CHN exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | China | Egypt |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 19.5 trillion USD2025 · WB | 365.25 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 13,861.97 USD2025 · WB | 3,085.81 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 4.96 %2025 · WB | 4.39 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 1.4 %2026-09-24 · PBoC | |
| Inflation · annual average | 0.06 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 14.07 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 0.8 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · NBS China | 14.5 %Urban headline CPI · 2026-08 · year-on-year · CBE / CAPMASUrban coverage; not national CPI |
| Unemployment | 4.62 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 6.78 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -7.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -6.6 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 99.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 86.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 3.77 %2025 · WB | -3.82 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 1,406,585,0002025 · WB | 118,365,9952025 · WB |
| Area | 9,562,910 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 1,001,450 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDChina: 2025 · World BankEgypt: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personChina: 2025 · World BankEgypt: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)China: 2025 · World BankEgypt: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)China: 2026-09-24 · PBoC: 7-day reverse repo · People’s Bank of China · Published: 2026-09-24 · Rate of the official operation consulted, not the mortgage LPR or the PSL lending rate. Subsequent operations with zero volume are not converted into a 0% interest rate.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)China: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · World BankEgypt: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedChina: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · National Bureau of Statistics of China · Published: 2026-09-09 · National headline year-on-year CPI, not monthly inflation or an annual average.Egypt: 2026-08 · CAPMAS urban headline CPI; year-on-year change · CBE / CAPMAS · Published: 2026-09-10 · Explicit urban coverage, distinct from other countries' national CPI; core inflation is not used. Official statement verified in the search index; the CBE server blocks direct access. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionChina: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Egypt: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Egypt: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Egypt: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPChina: 2025 · World BankEgypt: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Population
- PeopleChina: 2025 · World BankEgypt: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceChina: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOEgypt: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
China to Egypt
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 3,774.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 3,211.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 2,222.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 94.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 65.5 M USD2025 · Source |
Egypt to China
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 16.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 3.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 0.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 0 M USD2025 · Source |
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from China living in Egypt | ||
| Residents from Egypt living in China | ||
| Study and training: China in Egypt | ||
| Study and training: Egypt in China | ||
| Academic stays: China in Egypt | ||
| Academic stays: Egypt in China | ||
| Travel: China to Egypt | ||
| Travel: Egypt to China |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Ten years of strategic partnership
The statement on the May 2024 visit recalled the start of the comprehensive strategic partnership in 2014. The relationship combines bilateral channels with FOCAC and the China–Arab States forum. Each mechanism brings together different participants and agendas. Participation in several forums does not turn all their resources or initiatives into exclusively bilateral financing. [1]
Transport and industrial development
The text identifies Chinese participation in the new administrative capital's business district, rail transport and the TEDA industrial zone linked to the Suez Canal. These are projects with specific locations and functions, not a single aggregate amount. Construction, facility operation and imported goods have different phases. The trade table does not automatically represent the full value of infrastructure built. [1]
Currency, financing and space capabilities
The statement cites cooperation on currency swaps, issuance of panda bonds and the EgyptSat-2 satellite. A swap facilitates certain financial operations; a bond is a debt instrument, not corporate direct investment. The satellite is another scientific and technological strand. Separating these instruments helps identify the capabilities and financing forms that link the countries. [1]
The scale of the two economies
China recorded nominal GDP of 19,498 billion USD in 2025, compared with 365.3 in 2025 for Egypt. The reference populations were 1,406.59 million (2025) and 118.37 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, China's nominal GDP was 53.38 times Egypt's. These figures contextualise market size; they do not by themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or population extrapolations retain their labels in the table. No ratio is calculated when periods do not match. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
The May 2024 statement
The leaders agreed to deepen cooperation and follow-up in several areas. The document contains projects and objectives with their own status, not verification of all subsequent actions. The 2025 customs data reveal the most recent goods trade. They are presented alongside that background without attributing every trade change to a single industrial zone or visit. [1]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between China and Egypt totalled 20,799.7 million USD. Shipments from China to Egypt were 19,979.2 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 820.5 million USD. China's shipments to the partner represented 0.53% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporter. A single customs reporting source is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or affiliates' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [2]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Egypt–China joint statement
Egypt's State Information Service · Institutional source · Document: 2024-05 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 156; partners 0,826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
- SP.POP.TOTL; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.