65 per cent Egyptian families have nine children: Minister

Cairo: About 65 per cent of Egyptian families have nine children, which can hinder the nation`s development, a minister said here.

"The population increase rate has reached 2.5 per cent, which requires raising the economic growth rate three times in no less than ten years, which is not happening for the time being," Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali said on Sunday.

The minister added that about 62 per cent of Egyptian mothers are illiterate.

Egypt`s population has exceeded 100 million, including 93.4 million citizens in addition to at least 8 million expatriates, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics.

According to President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, terrorism and growing population are the largest challenges that Egypt is currently facing.