CAIRO, Jul 11 (Aswat Masriya) – Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, has seen a 23.7 per cent increase in its population in the period between 2006 and early 2016, the official statistics agency said on Monday.

The country’s population rose from 72.8 million in January 2006 to 90.1 million in early 2016, recording a 17.3 million increase over the past decade, according to  the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

The agency estimated that Egypt's population will reach 91.214 million by the end of Monday, which coincides with the World Population day.

Cairo hosts the largest bloc with around 9.4 million people residing in it, while South Sinai holds 170,000 people, making it the least populace governorate in the country.

The average population density per square kilometer increased from 71.5 people in 2006 to reach 89.2 people in 2016.

The report revealed that 31.3 per cent of the population are under 15 years, while those above 65 years account for 4.3 per cent of the total population.

The percentage of males is slightly higher than that of females, standing at 51 per cent of the total population. 

According to the report, rural Egypt accounts for 57 per cent of the population, compared to 43 per cent residing in urban areas.

Egypt’s population reached 91 million in June, recording an increase by one million people from December 6, according to a CAPMAS statement last month.