Egypt says third of population lives in poverty

CAIRO — A report from Egypt’s statistics agency released Monday said one in every three citizens was living in poverty in 2018.

The report said 32.5% of Egyptians lived below the poverty line that year, up from 27.8% in 2015 and 16.7% in 2000.

Egypt has been struggling to revive its economy after the years of unrest that followed the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.

The new report was the first official look at poverty and income since the government secured a $12 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund in 2016.

The government then imposed hikes in the price of fuel, government services and utilities, implemented a value-added tax and floated the currency.

The austerity measures caused the price of basic goods to spike, and have taken a heavy toll on poor and middle-class Egyptians.

The IMF is set to deliver the final round of the bailout in the coming weeks.