Poverty In Egypt On The Rise - Deepening Rural Urban Divide

Poverty is getting worse in Egypt, particularly in rural areas, according to a study released by the government statistics agency. Analysts blame the worsening situation in rural regions on the government’s bias in recent years towards funding urban development projects.
Between 2004 and 2009, the percentage of Egyptians living at or below the World Bank’s official poverty line of $2 per day increased from 19.6 percent to 21.8 percent.
Instances of poverty increased at a much higher rate, 4.6 percent, in the rural parts of Upper Egypt, where 43.7 percent of the population lives in poverty, according to the study. Urban governorates, such as Cairo, Giza and Alexandria, saw poverty increases as well, but by 1 percent, as compared to 6.9 percent for the overall population.