26.4 percent of population are children: report

The total number of children under 18 years old in Egypt, counted until the end of June, is 36 million children, which equals 26.4 percent of the total population, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics.

 

In a statement issued on Tuesday, on the occasion of the International Day for the Rights of the Child, the agency explained that there are 15.8 million male children, comprising 18.9 percent of population, and 14.7 million female children, comprising 17.5 percent.

 

There are 6.1 percent of children under one year old, 24.3 percent of children less than 5 years, 28.9 percent in the age group from 5 to 9 years, 25.5 percent from 10 to 14 years, and finally 15.2 percent from 15 to 17 years.

 

The agency noted a decline in the rate of infant mortality in 2012 to reach 15.2 per thousand live births compared to 19.6 per thousand live births in 2011, while the mortality rate of children under five years has gone up from 15.2 per thousand live births in 2011 to 19.7 per thousand live births during 2012 .

 

The diseases of pregnancy and childbirth accounted for the highest rates of infant mortality over the past year, to result in urban areas to about 28 for males and 25.6 for females, compared to 19.7 for males and 18.1 for females in the countryside all per thousand live births.

 

Rural areas account for the highest mortality rate for children under five, due to respiratory diseases, to reach around 23 for males and 25.3 for females, while the urban areas they are 8 for males and 7.5 for females all per thousand live births .

 

The net  enrollment rate in kindergarten during the school year 2012-2013 reached 23.7 percent for both males and females, while in primary education it reached 93.3 percent and 83.7 percent in the preparatory education stage .

 

The proportion of primary school dropouts from the 2010-2011 school year to the 2011-2012 school year reached 0.34 percent, and 6 percent in the preparatory phase .

 

The survey data of income, expenditure and consumption during the year 2010/2011 showed poor children to be 26.4 percent, or 36.3 percent in rural areas and 12.3 percent in urban areas. About 13.5 percent of children are deprived of shelter, 7 percent of sewage, 3.6 percent of pure water, 11.8 percent of food and 4.9 percent of education.