Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Egypt

Egypt: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 39.5% in 2014. ▼ Falling

Latest (2014)
39.5%
World rank
47th
of 72 countries
All-time high
61.4%
in 1993
All-time low
30.4%
in 2003
Years of data
7
1993–2014

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Egypt, 1993–2014

02040601993200320141993: 61.4 % of children under 6 months1996: 56.3 % of children under 6 months2000: 56.1 % of children under 6 months2003: 30.4 % of children under 6 months2005: 41.1 % of children under 6 months2008: 52.8 % of children under 6 months2014: 39.5 % of children under 6 months

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.

Analysis

The most recent figure for exclusive breastfeeding rate in Egypt is 39.5%, measured in 2014.

The figure is up 30.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Egypt peaked at 61.4% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 30.4%, in 2003.

Egypt ranks 47th of 72 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 58.8% 56.3% 61.4% 2
2000s 45.1% 30.4% 56.1% 4
2010s 39.5% 39.5% 39.5% 1

Countries ranked near Egypt

  1. 44 Mali 40.5% compare
  2. 45 Mauritania 40.3% compare
  3. 46 Haiti 39.9% compare
  4. 48 Cameroon 39.4% compare
  5. 49 Palestine 38.9% compare
  6. 50 Kazakhstan 37.8% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for Egypt

All data for Egypt →

Frequently asked questions

What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Egypt?
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Egypt was 39.5% in 2014, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Egypt?
The highest recorded value was 61.4% in 1993.
What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Egypt?
The lowest recorded value was 30.4% in 2003.
How does Egypt rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
Egypt ranks 47th out of 72 countries with data for 2014.
Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Egypt?
Over the last ten years it is up 30.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Egypt data come from?
The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Exclusive breastfeeding rate
Unit
% of children under 6 months
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
72 places, 509 data points, 1986–2020
Last refreshed

The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.