Every month, the salary comes in, and every month, it disappears just as quickly. Rent, groceries, transport, school fees, the list never ends. For many Egyptians, financial stability feels harder to reach, even with full-time work. The math simply does not work the way it used to. In 2023, average wages rose by roughly 17 percent, and the government later increased the minimum wage to EGP 7,000 (USD 150) in July 2025. But even these adjustments have not kept up with how fast prices have been rising. In March 2023, inflation hit 31.9 percent, almost double the pace of wage growth, with food prices jumping by more than 60 percent. By August 2024, inflation was still high at 26.2 percent, pushed up by essentials like food, transport, and electricity. In practice, households are earning slightly more on paper, but because prices are rising much faster, their money buys less than it did before, as every jump in salaries is quickly overtaken by another rise in everyday costs. The squeeze has been deeper and more persistent for workers on fixed public salaries and for those in Egypt’s informal sector, roughly 60 percent…
