The number of Egyptians living below the poverty line in 2008 and 2009 amounted to 16.3 million, according to a study by the Egyptian government released on Thursday.
The World Bank puts the poverty line at $2 per day per person.
The study, conducted by the Egyptian Cabinet's Information and Decision Support Center, also revealed that the poverty rate in Egypt had risen to 21.6 percent compared to 16.7 percent in 2000.
The highest poverty rates were recorded in Upper Egypt, with 79 percent of the poorest income segment living in rural areas. The lowest rates of poverty, meanwhile, were recorded in Egypt's urban governorates.
The Egyptian government's strategy for the 2010 /11 fiscal year aims to reduce the national poverty rate to around 18 percent, compared to 22.5 percent in 2005.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
