- Published on 14 November 2016
Table 1: Percentage of vacant units and estimated number of years to fill them
This is a theoretical calculation used to show the potential uptake of existing units if they were to be lived in. Calculations are estimated as:
Total vacant units in Egypt/ average yearly production = Number of years
With 6,409,594 million total vacant units (non-residential units such as garages, single rooms, shops, and other were omitted)[1], and an average yearly construction rate between 2007 and 2015 of 1,000,000 units[2], we arrive to 6.4 years’ worth of vacant housing units.
Without yearly production data for each governorate, in order to apply this ratio we calculated a correlation between years of vacant housing and the percentage of vacancy;
Percentage of vacancy / years’ worth of vacant units = Percentage points per year
Therefore with 27.4% vacant percentage divided by 6.4 year’s worth of units, we arrive to 4.3 percentage points per year on average. Based on this, the table below shows the potential number of years it would take to use up the vacant housing units in each governorate.
| Governorate | Percentage of Vacant Units | Potential Number of years to fill vacant units |
| Egypt | 27.51% | 6.40 |
| Gharbia | 26.44% | 6.15 |
| Dakahlia | 25.25% | 5.87 |
| Menufia | 29.44% | 6.85 |
| Sharkia | 26.74% | 6.22 |
| Kafr alsheikh | 21.98% | 5.11 |
| Alexandria | 34.05% | 7.92 |
| Demmiatta | 28.67% | 6.67 |
| Behera | 20.79% | 4.84 |
| Port said | 22.32% | 5.19 |
| Cairo | 27.03% | 6.29 |
| Giza | 30.78% | 7.16 |
| Suhag | 28.89% | 6.72 |
| Qina | 27.31% | 6.35 |
| Beni seuf | 22.28% | 5.18 |
| Aswan | 24.55% | 5.71 |
| Qaliubia | 31.35% | 7.29 |
| Ismailia | 24.04% | 5.59 |
| Fayoum | 21.67% | 5.04 |
| Luxor | 31.69% | 7.37 |
| Suez | 25.39% | 5.90 |
| Menia | 21.23% | 4.94 |
| Asiut | 28.40% | 6.61 |
| Matrouh | 95.52% | 22.21 |
| North Sinai | 32.26% | 7.50 |
| south Sinai | 31.67% | 7.37 |
| Wadi Gedid | 23.85% | 5.55 |
| Red sea | 48.53% | 11.29 |
Table 2: Vacancy in New Cities
The table below shows the vacant units in New Cities. Data were collected from CAPMAS official figures for vacant units as per the 2006 Census [3] , however, for more precise results; non-residential units (garages, single rooms, shops, and other) were omitted.
| New City | Residential units | Vacant Residential units | % |
| TOTAL | 479,895 | 281,379 | 58.6% |
| 10th Ramadan | 56,560 | 23,782 | 42.0% |
| 15th of May | 33,672 | 10,645 | 31.6% |
| Sadat | 19,204 | 7,147 | 37.2% |
| Burg Al-‘arab | 18,074 | 7,991 | 44.2% |
| 6th of October | 73,530 | 29,070 | 39.5% |
| New Damietta | 30,356 | 21,330 | 70.3% |
| New Salhia | 7,884 | 3,547 | 45.0% |
| Obour | 38,949 | 25,108 | 64.5% |
| New Minia | 4,555 | 2,399 | 52.7% |
| New Beni Sueif | 10,700 | 6,140 | 57.4% |
| Sheikh Zaid | 30,572 | 19,707 | 64.5% |
| Sherouk | 30,054 | 22,644 | 75.3% |
| New Cairo | 102,010 | 63,917 | 62.7% |
| New Assiut | 3,337 | 2,776 | 83.2% |
[1] CAPMAS. (2008). 2006 General Census for Population and Living Conditions, Final Results. CAPMAS.
[2] 10 Tooba. The Built Environment Deprivation Indicator. September 2016.
[3] CAPMAS. (2008). 2006 General Census for Population and Living Conditions, Final Results. CAPMAS.